Police Board to hold Virtual Meeting on October 22, 2020

TORONTO:  The next scheduled meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board will take place on October 22, 2020 at 9:00AM.   
 
Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, and to protect the health and wellbeing of all involved while adhering to provincial emergency orders, this Board Meeting will proceed as a virtual meeting.  Members of the public and media are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting through our livestream at https://youtu.be/p2RLNgxJtvg
The agenda is available on the Board’s website at: https://tpsb.ca/meetings/meetings-past.
 
Members of the public who wish to make a deputation 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 Wednesday, October 21, 2020. 
 
                                                                                                                              
Items of Interest at this virtual Board meeting include:
 
PRESENTATION FROM INTEGRATED GANG PREVENTION TASK FORCE
 
The Board will hear a presentation from Detective Constable Ron Chhinzer, Integrated Gang Prevention Task Force, entitled “Toronto Gang Prevention: What We Learned & Where We Are Going.”  After almost four years of research, project development, and initiatives into exploring a feasible gang exit strategy, the Task Force has been bringing to light the key risk factors that a child faces from the ages of 0 to 18 that result in gang membership and participation, and what can be done to potentially mitigate those risks and reduce gang membership and violence through Project #Engage416.” This presentation will include an update on the 31 Gang Prevention Town Hall meetings hosted by the Task Force between September 2019 and March 2020 within 31 of Toronto’s priority neighbourhoods.  The Town Halls engaged, educated and supported residents and families who live in areas most affected by gang activity, and whose children may be at risk of recruitment by gangs in their neighbourhoods.  The presentation will also include details about the outcomes and next steps for the Service in the area of gang prevention and intervention, including the important work currently being done which helps to connect former gang members with local support services.
 
POLICE REFORM IMPLEMENTATION DASHBOARD
 
The Board will receive a presentation from Ryan Teschner, the Board’s Executive Director & Chief of Staff, as well as A/Staff Superintendent Rob Johnson and Ian Williams, Manager, Analytics and Innovation with respect to the Police Reform Implementation Dashboard.   This Dashboard will create a tool to track the progress of both the Board and Service in implementing the 81 police reform recommendations approved by the Board in August 2020.  This Dashboard will describe the Board’s and Service’s work plan for the implementation of each of these critical initiatives, track progress, and provide links to relevant public reports and documents as soon as they are available. The Dashboard is being designed iteratively so that further enhancements will be integrated in the coming weeks.  The Dashboard will be made available to the public on October 20, 2020 on the Board’s website at this link: https://tpsb.ca/consultations-and-publications/police-reform-implementation-dashboard  and will be presented during the public Board meeting.
 
CHIEF OF POLICE SELECTION PROCESS – CONTRACT AWARD RECOMMENDED FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION SERVICES
 
The Board will consider a report from Ryan Teschner, the Board’s Executive Director & Chief of Staff recommending approval of a contract award to Environics Research Group Limited (Environics) to deliver public consultation services as part of the Chief of Police selection process, for a four-month contract term (with the option to extend on a month-to-month basis) at an estimated cost of $75,000.  As the report notes, one of the Board’s most significant responsibilities is to recruit and appoint a Chief of Police and robust and deep public engagement to hear from Toronto’s diverse communities on the attributes, skills and priorities for the next Chief of Police is a key priority in the upcoming selection process – and, in particular, given the significant attention on driving policing reform.  The report details the various consultation activities proposed by Environics, including roundtable meetings, internal consultation sessions, and focus groups, and notes that Environics’ approach to public engagement is designed with a view to maximizing broad public engagement from Toronto’s diverse communities.
 
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.