Police Board to hold Hybrid Meeting on Wednesday July 31, 2024
TORONTO: The next scheduled meeting of the Toronto Police Service Board will take place on Wednesday July 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 Tuesday, July 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/E9X1nRwRHks
Items of Interest at this Board meeting include:
UPDATED TORONTO POLICE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
The Board will consider a report from Chief Demkiw recommending that the Board approve the revised 2024 organizational chart for the Toronto Police Service. As the report notes, the proposed organizational chart contains changes aimed at enhancing the Service’s delivery model by organizing around functions for improved information and process flow. The proposal also aims to better reflect the priorities of the Service, and to more effectively balance both workload and span of control. As the report details, the changes to the Service’s organizational structure are driven by a number of considerations and objectives, including the need to enhance, clarify and better align the delivery of public safety services, and the need to effectively enable modernization and the implementation of major projects and reform-related recommendations.
TORONTO POLICE SERVICE’S MULTI-YEAR STAFFING PLAN
The Board will consider a report from Chief Demkiw containing an interim update on the Toronto Police Service’s Multi-Year Staffing Plan. The report indicates that this plan is currently under development and considers a number of elements, including population growth and associated growth in demand for all services, crime trends, workforce wellbeing indicators, an understanding of the unique landscape of policing in Toronto, and a review of the Service’s current gaps, vacancies, and operational pressures. As the report also notes, the full plan will be presented at the Board’s September 2024 meeting, and will be used to inform the budget process for 2025 and support strategic long-term operational and financial planning for the City, the Board and the Service.
BOARD’S ANNUAL REPORT AND SERVICE’S ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT
The Board will consider a report from Dubi Kanengisser, the Board’s Executive Director, regarding the Board’s Annual Report for 2023. As the report notes, the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 which came into force on April 1, 2024, includes a requirement for the Board to submit an annual report to the City. The Annual Report, the first to be developed pursuant to this new legislation, details the structure of the Board, the Command Team and the Service, the Service’s Mission, Vision and Values, the priorities guiding policing, police reform initiatives, organizational context and key statistics. It also outlines a number of items of interest in 2023, including response to protests, auto thefts, and Service Member wellbeing.
As Chair Morgan remarks in her introduction, the Annual Report is complemented by the Service's 2023 Annual Statistical Report, which provides an in-depth analysis of 2023 data and trends, and should be read alongside this report, as well as the 2023 Hate Crime Annual Statistical Report and the numerous other reports submitted by the Chief to the Board, which demonstrate the Service's commitment to transparency, accountability and excellence.
The Board will also consider the Service’s 2023 Annual Statistical Report as part of its July 31, 2024 agenda.
ANNUAL REPORT ON BODY-WORN CAMERAS
The Board will consider a report from Chief Demkiw containing the annual report on the Service’s Use of Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs), pursuant to the Board’s Policy. The report includes information in a number of areas, including procedural changes, findings of the annual audit, retention period, the total number of recordings released as part of a disclosure process in a legal proceeding, compliance statistics, the costs and/or savings associated with the deployment and use of BWC, findings from relevant surveys and consultations, and an academic review.
Notably, the report points out that, through a quality control audit, it has come to the attention of Professional Standards that the data for 2023 was not properly captured, leading to inaccuracies in statistical reporting. To address this issue, the report states that new categories in the Professional Standards Information System, as well as a new intake form, were generated, to accurately capture BWC data at the onset of a misconduct file being created. As the report asserts, the Service is confident that the data collected in 2024 onwards will be more reliable. In addition, the report notes that, despite the growing pains inherent in any new program, in general, officers and supervisors embrace this technology, citing a number of reasons including public/officer safety, real-time access to the front line, transparency, accountability and evidence capture.
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.
Contact: Sandy Murray
sandy.murray@tpsb.ca
416-808-8090
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