Toronto Police say now is not the time for a budget cut of $12.6 million as hate crime is on the increase.
Toronto Police say now is not a good time for City Council to reduce their operating budget by $12.6 million as hate crime is at an all-time high.
Chief Myron Demkiw said the force has just learned the City wants to cut $12.6 million from the 2024 Toronto Police Services Operating Budget even though it has been approved by the police board. It is part of the City’s plan to raise taxes by 10.5 per cent.
Chief Myron Demkiw said officers from other units are being moved to fight hate crimes.
“Costs cannot be further reduced without taking unacceptable risks,” he said. “Otherwise, the service will have no prospect of delivering adequate and effective policing service as required in legislation.”
The budget cut will be voted on by City Council on February 14.
Demkiw said between October 7, 2023 and January 10 this year, there have been 54 arrests and 117 charges laid related to hate crime occurrences. Of the 117 charges laid, some 28 were related to mischief, with 22 for assault and 17 for uttering threats.
Police say anyone caught demonstrating in the Avenue Road and Hwy. 401 Overpass will be criminally charged.
There have been three reported hate crimes in Toronto so far this year, of which two were anti-Semitic and one targeting LGBTQ2S+ communities. The Service has received 145 web submissions to date from people using the Hate Graffiti Web Form.
The Chief said officers from other units are being dispatched to fight hate crime and all protests at the Avenue Road and Highway 401 overpass is banned due to the danger It presents.
“There will be criminal charges laid for those who protest there,” he said. “There are safer places where lawful protests can take place.”
One man was arrested and charged for waving a flag belonging to an organization deemed as terrorists in Canada.
Demkiw said one man was arrested on January 7 for marching down Queen Street West and Bay Street waving a flag of an organization listed as a terrorist group by Public Safety Canada.
The 41-year-old Toronto man was arrested and charged with public incitement of hatred after a large downtown demonstration. He will appear in court on February 23.
“Hate and intimidation can have no space in our city and we have been unwavering in our commitment to restore the sense of public safety,” the Chief vowed. “Our officers have worked tirelessly to manage 308 demonstrations ….exponentially more than any other city in Canada.”
The Chief said officers from other specialized units are now fighting hate in Toronto.
From January to September 2023, the force averaged 47 hate crime related calls for service each month. From October to December 2023, that average increased to 190 hate crime related calls each month.
In 2023, the number of reported hate crime occurrences increased by 42 per cent compared to 2022, with 353 reported in 2023 and 248 reported in 2022.
Police said there has been dozens of demonstrations with now more confrontational protestors.
Demkiw said there was a 48 per cent decrease in reported hate crimes in December 2023 with 10 reported, compared to November 2023 with 48 cases reported.
Anti-Semitism continues to account for more reported hate crimes than any other category, making up 37 per cent of all hate crimes reported in 2023. That same year there were 132 reported anti-Semitic hate crimes compared to 65 in 2022. There was also 35 reported anti-Muslim/Palestinian/Arab hate crimes in 2023 compared to 12 in 2022.
Also troubling is the 65 per cent increase in LGBTQ2S+ hate crimes reported in 2023, the second highest category – there were 66 reported in 2023 compared to 40 in 2022.