Police Board to meet Thursday November 22, 2018

TORONTO:  The next scheduled meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board will take place on Thursday November 22, 2018 at 1:30 PM in the Auditorium, 40 College Street. Copies of the agenda are available on the Board’s website at www.tpsb.ca, from the Board office and limited copies will be available at the meeting.

The Board meeting may be viewed via LiveStream on YouTube using the following link:   
 https://youtu.be/IcdYIV9Nkio.

Those members of the public who would like to make a deputation to the Board regarding an item on the agenda should refer to the Notice for Making a Deputation at this link.

Items of interest include:

QUARTERLY UPDATE – THE WAY FORWARD
The Board will consider a report from Chief Saunders and hear a presentation from A/Inspector Greg Watts concerning the third quarterly update report on The Way Forward, a report prepared by the Transformational Task Force which was approved by the Board in February 2017.  As the report states, the Service is estimating the realization of approximately $100M in operating savings and cost avoidance from 2016 to the end of 2018, noting the majority of these savings ($70M) are the result of the hiring moratorium.  The report details key updates on the progress over the third quarter of 2018, including: a new policing model and the consideration of new shift schedules; partnerships and service reallocation, including the lifeguard program, the school crossing guard program, and courts and parking; technical improvements; culture change; and, accountability and engagement.  The report states that improving core services and engaging key stakeholders will continue to be a priority as the project moves forward, and that success is premised on obtaining the right level of resources and expertise required to properly and efficiently implement the various modernization initiatives.

2017 ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT
The Board will consider a report from Chief Saunders with respect to the 2017 Annual Statistical Report of the Toronto Police Service.  This report provides information concerning:  Reported Crime; Charges; Victimization; Search; Firearms; Traffic; Personnel and Budget; Complaints; Calls for Service; Regulated Interactions; and, Administration.  The Annual Statistical Report for 2017 also contains data for the first reporting year of the new regulated interactions under the provincial “street checks” regulation.  Some highlights of the Report include: the total reported offences increased by 6.7%; “crimes against persons” increased by 2.9%; “crimes against property” increased by 8.5%; collision-related fatalities decreased by 19.5%; and, 25 regulated interactions were conducted in 2017.
 

REQUEST FOR TRAFFIC WARDENS IN THE CITY OF TORONTO
The Board will consider a report from Chief Saunders with respect to a request from the City of Toronto to implement the use of traffic wardens.  The report states that the City of Toronto is requesting that the Board consider granting limited police authority to City of Toronto Traffic Wardens under the Highway Traffic Act. Under the proposed plan, Traffic Wardens would be deployed to intersections that experience traffic congestion issues throughout the downtown core, replacing the need for paid duty officers.  The report says that the proposed additional authorities will allow the Traffic Wardens to effectively and efficiently direct traffic that will assist in avoiding the potential for public safety issues, transit delays and traffic gridlock.  The report notes that Transportation Services will also be approaching the City of Toronto to request additional authority under the Toronto Municipal Code so that Traffic Wardens can also conduct limited By-law enforcement. 

OPERATING BUDGET VARIANCE REPORT
The Board will consider a report from Chief Saunders regarding the 2018 projected year-end operating budget variance for the Toronto Police Service.  As at September 30, 2018, a favourable year-end variance of $0.2M is anticipated.  The report includes details of each major expenditure and revenue category. 

Contact:
Sandy Murray
416-808-8090