The task force assigned to slash the cost of policing in Toronto has recommended sweeping changes. One such upheaval only hinted at is the suggested closure of 53 Division at Eglinton Ave. E. and Duplex Avenue. Other divisional offices would also be merged (see list below). There will be media lockup Thursday where officials will provide a technical briefing on the task force report. The briefing will include a review of the report, a presentation by Task Force members and one-on-one interviews with Chief Mark Saunders and Chair Andy Pringle. Content from the technical briefing will be under embargo until 3 p.m. The information as published here was obtained by CBC News through leaks. It includes:
- No promotions or new hires for three years.
- Getting officers to move away from mobile work stations and towards utilizing smartphones.
- Disbanding the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) by the end of this summer.
- Ending transit patrols, leaving the work to TTC special constables.
- Using crime data to determine where officers are needed most.
- Divisional boundaries will be reworked. 54 Division is set to amalgamate with 55 Division in 2017. The officer’s notes also indicate that 12, 13, 33, 53, and 41 Division stations could be targeted for closure in 2018.
- No longer attending bylaw calls made to 3-1-1.
- Overhauling the paid-duty officer program.
- Handing over to the city school crossing guard, life guard and parking enforcement programs.
- The authorized strength of the police force will drop from 5,100 to 4,750 by 2017, a reduction mainly driven by attrition.
It’s not going to be safe without them
