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Police Board to hold Hybrid Meeting on Friday May 31, 2024

May 24, 2024

TORONTO: The next scheduled meeting of the Toronto Police Service Board will take place on Friday May 31, 2024 at 9:00AM.

The agenda is available on the Board’s website at: https://www.tpsb.ca/meetings.

Members of the public who wish to make a deputation on an item included in the agenda may register using the regular process, at https://www.tpsb.ca/meetings/making-a-deputation. The request must be received no later than 12:00PM on Thursday May 30, 2024.

The Board’s meeting will proceed as a hybrid meeting.

Sign-up to make a deputation

If you wish to sign up to make a deputation on an item, please use our Making a Deputation sign-up form: https://www.tpsb.ca/meetings/making-a-deputation. Registered deputants will have the option of making their deputation in-person or virtually. Virtual deputations would be available either by video via WebEx, or audio-only by phone. Please note deputations on items not appearing on the agenda will not be accepted.

In addition, members of the public and media are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting as an observer through our livestream at: https://youtube.com/live/wO-d9OBD8wM?feature=share.

Items of Interest at this Board meeting include:

TORONTO POLICE SERVICE HONOUR WALL

The Board will hear a presentation and consider a report from Chief Demkiw regarding the newly designed Honour Wall in the Hall of Honour in the Toronto Police Headquarters. As the report and presentation will detail, the Honour Wall will include four panels; two panels for deaths that occurred in WWI and WWII, a panel for deaths which have occurred “In the Line of Duty,” that is, due to physical injuries, and a panel for deaths that have occurred “Because of the Line of Duty,” that is, due to suicide related to mental health challenges faced as part of an officer’s job.

The addition of the panel related to deaths “Because of the Line of Duty” is a result of a human rights claim, as well as vigorous advocacy by the families and loved ones of Service Members who have died as a result of a mental health injury. In November 2015, the Ontario Human Rights Commission filed a claim at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, alleging discrimination with respect to employment on the basis of disability. At the time, only Service Members who died from physical injuries while working were placed on our memorial walls. The Minutes of Settlement, which came out of the human rights claim, were released in 2017. The Minutes required a clear application process, and defined criteria for inclusion, among other things. The Board, Service and the OHRC have worked for years to meaningfully implement the Minutes of Settlement, culminating in a ceremony on May 2, 2024, when the first four names of those who have died Because of the Line of Duty were added, as follows:

Edward Adamson, Staff Sergeant 2812
Michael Pedley, Detective 2916
Darius Garda, Police Constable 10220
John Chisholm, Chief of Police

As the report notes, the Hall of Honour will be a place of reverence that would honour the sacrifice of all Service Members who have died due to trauma suffered in service to others. It will also provide a vehicle by which the magnitude of the issue of Because of the Line of Duty Deaths can be acknowledged without stigmatization.

TORONTO POLICE SERVICE 2023 ANNNUAL HATE CRIME REPORT

The Board will consider a report and hear a presentation from Chief Demkiw containing the Service’s 2023 Annual Hate Crime report. As the report notes, in 2023, The Service experienced a 47% increase in reported hate crimes in 2023 over 2022 (365 reported occurrence in 2023 as compared to 248 in 2022). The report states that the Middle East conflict that began on October 7, 2023, is a significant contributing factor to the increased reporting.

As the report also notes, in 2023, the Hate Crime Unit (HCU) continued its ongoing efforts to focus on building and enhancing community partnerships, including encouraging the public reporting of hate crimes. Internal education of service members, as well as external education, continued to be priorities as well.

As the report details, as part of the Service’s ongoing commitment to effectively respond to hate crimes, the Service found it necessary to expand its HCU from six officers to a team of 32 members. The expansion of the HCU was needed to increase its investigative capacity, respond to the significant increase in reporting and strengthen the relationship between the Service and affected communities. Furthermore, the expansion enabled the Service to expand the HCU mandate to include the review, follow-up and investigation of all suspected hate crimes.

As the report details, in 2023, the highest number of reported hate crimes targeted members of the Jewish community, Black community, the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (2SLGBTQI+) communities and the Muslim community. The three most frequently reported criminal offences motivated by hate in 2023, in order, were mischief to property, assault, and uttering threats.

TORONTO POLICE SERVICE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROCEDURE

The Board will consider a report from Chief Demkiw regarding the Service’s artificial intelligence procedure. In February 2022, the Board approved a new Policy entitled “Use of Artificial Intelligence Technology” and set requirements for the Service to develop procedures and processes for the review and assessment, prior to the use of any new Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technology. This report informs the Board of the completion and content of the Service’s procedure 17-14, entitled Artificial Intelligence.

As the report notes, the preliminary research conducted to prepare the procedure expanded towards international regions, and while information about best practices and guidelines were available, functional A.I. governance and procedures for a public safety organization did not exist at the time. This meant that the novel creation of Service A.I. procedures would be required.

As the report also states, the Service engaged directly with public safety agencies, government officials, community organizations, civil liberties groups, other industry leaders and other key stakeholders to solicit feedback and input on the development of A.I. guidelines. As the report also details, consultation with stakeholders has been a critical aspect of the initiative. The Service recognized and mirrored the Board’s transparent approach which integrated public consultation and feedback into its design.

As with all meetings, a recording of this meeting will be posted and archived to the Toronto Police Service YouTube account at https://www.youtube.com/TorontoPolice for members of the public to access later at their convenience.

The Toronto Police Service Board is the civilian body responsible for governing the Toronto Police Service. The Board is responsible for ensuring the provision of adequate and effective police services in the City of Toronto, setting priorities and objectives for the Toronto Police Service, approving the annual police budget and selecting the Chief of Police.

Contact: Sandy Murray
sandy.murray@tpsb.ca
416-808-8090

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