Item - 2026.MM41.5

Councillor Dianne Saxe, seconded by Councillor Jon Burnside, recommends that:

1. City Council request the City Manager to review and, if appropriate, update the training provided to by-law enforcement officers and special constables across all City divisions to ensure they receive a consistent understanding of enforcement tools and processes, including:

a. powers of entry and inspection powers available to them under the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and other relevant legislation;

b. processes and criteria to lay charging documents such as Part I certificates of offence and Part III Informations under the Provincial Offences Act and other relevant legislation;

c. processes and criteria to undertake remedial action under the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and other relevant legislation;

d. policies on extenuating and aggravating circumstances, including repeat offences and seriousness of consequences;

e. note-taking and evidence management; and

f. professional conduct.

Effective enforcement of by-laws is essential for good governance of our city. Such enforcement is becoming more challenging due to limited resources, high staff turnover, population growth, court backlogs, the lasting impact of the pandemic and the drug crisis.

Some of these factors are beyond the city’s control. However, the city should improve and standardize the training of its bylaw enforcement officers and special constables, who are presently scattered across multiple departments and receive highly variable training. Properly trained enforcement staff can be expected to be more efficient and effective at their jobs.