Toronto Police Services Board reviews proposed $48M funding boost
CBC
The Toronto Police Services Board is meeting Monday to decide whether to approve a nearly $50-million funding increase for the city's police force, which would result in the addition of 200 officers.
The proposal, announced Tuesday by Toronto Mayor John Tory, represents a 4.3 per cent or $48.3-million increase over 2022's police budget, bringing its total to just over $1.1-billion for 2023.
The new funding would also include an additional $2-million for programming aimed at expanding existing supports for youth and addressing youth violence, following recent violent incidents Tory has called troubling.
Roughly 38 per cent — or about $18 million — would go to scheduled pay raises for police under existing collective agreements.
The push for more officer resources is at odds with critics' calls to redirect money to community initiatives that aim to address root causes of violence.
Some advocates argue that increasing police budgets won't lead to safer cities and call instead for funding boosts to supports such as mental health and housing.
In a written deputation to the meeting, not-for-profit community legal clinic Black Legal Action Centre says it is "extremely concerned" by the proposal, arguing the increase in police officers will negatively impact Black communities and further strain their relationship with Toronto police.
WATCH | Mayor John Tory defended the police budget increase during an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning last week. You can watch his exchange with Jason D'Souza here:
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