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In the just-proposed 2024 budget, the City of Toronto has slashed more than half of the additional funding recently requested by the Toronto Police Service (TPS), after the TPS Board unanimously recommended a 1.7% increase in the budget for 2024. Set to be finalized and approved by City Council next week, the new budget would cut nearly $13 million from the $20 million in extra funding the TPS says is needed to tackle increased challenges.

As Toronto's population and overall budget continue to rise, so do the demands on the TPS. As such, this clearly is not an auspicious time to be cutting into the TPS budget, as Toronto grapples with multiple crises, including the ongoing surge in hate crimes impacting the city's vulnerable communities.

FSWC is calling on members of the Jewish and other communities to reach out to their city councillors and press for the TPS to be allocated the full 1.7% increase in funding it requested.

Citizens should insist on the TPS having the means to better enforce the law and safeguard the Jewish community and all other Torontonians from the danger of hate-motivated and other crimes.

In 2023, hate crimes spiked 42% compared to 2022. The resources the TPS has already devoted to this issue in recent months, including bolstering its Hate Crime Unit with additional investigators and deploying mobile response units to protect Jewish and Muslim neighbourhoods, have been essential in keeping the peace and helping vulnerable communities feel safer. However, resources are being stretched thin, and Toronto police need additional support to adequately serve Torontonians.

Violent crime, including carjackings and home invasions, have reached unprecedented levels in our city, and many Torontonians are feeling unsafe. Violent crime was up 18% in 2023 compared to 2022. Previous hiring freezes and four 0% budget increases (2013, 2017, 2018 and 2021) have forced the TPS to cut back on the number of officers available. Due to budget constraints and resource limitations, the TPS emergency response time is more than 20 minutes. This is an unacceptable wait for Torontonians in distressing situations, and only additional resources will shorten that wait.

Furthermore, the requested 1.7% budget increase is less than the current rate of inflation.

The Toronto Police Service requires adequate funding to keep our communities safe during these difficult times. We encourage you to reach out to your local city councillor to express your concerns.

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