The residents of South Etobicoke love their cops.
And in the next two days, the future of policing in Toronto is being debated to try and make things more equitable for all.
Toronto City Council are debating virtually on some hard issues today and tomorrow, starting at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be streamed online.
At issues are Councillors Josh Matlow and Kristyn Wong-Tam who have put forward a motion earlier this month calling for a 10 per cent cut of the police budget.
They argue the money could be put to better use by investing in community programs.
City staff said a 10 per cent cut would amount to about $150 million. The police budget is more than $1.2 billion yearly.
Mayor John Tory has also revealed his own plan to reform the force, but it does not include a budget cut.
Tory’s proposal includes several initiatives intended to eliminate systemic racism in policing and would stop police from responding to mental health calls that do not involve weapons or violence.
Demands for changes stem from the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who fell from her balcony after police responded to a call at her home. Police in Peel Region are also facing scrutiny after the death of Ejaz Choudry, who was fatally shot by officers while experiencing a mental health crisis.
Mental health calls make up about 30,000 of the nearly one million calls police respond to every year.
Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, said a cut of 10 per cent would result in hundreds of jobs being lost. He estimates the positions of at least 500 police officers would be cut if the motion passed.
To be continued.