Toronto Police Announce 2012 Summer Safety Initiative | @torontopolice

In the Media Gallery at Toronto Police Headquarters on Thursday, July 26, 2012, at 1pm, Chief William Blair of the Toronto Police Service announced plans for the new Toronto Police Summer Safety Initiative.

Chief Blair was joined by Deputy Chief Peter Sloly of Divisional Policing Command, Acting Deputy Chief Jane Wilcox of Specialized Operations Command, as well as community members Audrey Campbell of the Jamaican Canadian Association, and Sharon Shelton of Tropicana Community Services.

Beginning on August 6, a total of 320 officers will be assigned to communities most affected by recent increases in violence. The program ends on September 9.

"We are talking about increased capacity, more police officers, more boots on the ground," said Deputy Chief Peter Sloly, who is in charge of Divisional Policing Command.

"These are real officers working in the most victimized areas...We will be working with our partners and helping those young kids to do their best and be their best. We are also realigning many of our support units on the same shift schedules to allow greater coordination and communication and there will be an increased number of officers to deal with the most high-risk offenders. For those people who commit violent crimes and the places where they commit them, our officers will be in greater numbers and in greater co-ordination.

"...On a daily basis, there will be continued pursuit of our high-risk offenders and continued engagement with our young people and community partners in those neighbourhoods in the most respectful and development-focussed ways possible. We are also using some new innovations, including mainstreaming social media into all of our operations, integrating our Divisional specialized assets in ways we have not done before and we are approaching this in a borderless way. Instead of one Division looking after its problems, we have erased the borders...The extra resources we have can be moved anywhere, anytime in the city."

Sloly also said there will be an increased presence on transit routes to ensure gangs don't use those avenues to commit crimes.

"This is about public safety," he added.

"Reducing victimization, reducing fear, improving public safety, improving service and trust -- it's everyone's responsibility."

Additional resources are also going to be deployed during the annual Carnival weekend celebrations. A total of 456 officers will be on duty in the downtown core and 350 officers will work on the day of the parade on Lake Shore Blvd. They will be supported by intelligence and other units.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Blair also encouraged those who know someone in possession of an illegal gun or know when violence may occur to contact police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416−808−2222, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at 222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read the full story on the Toronto Police Service website here:
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/module...