Toronto police seek 2.3% operating funding increase as part of 2022 budget

As Toronto city council prepares to enter its 2022 budget deliberations, the local police service is asking for a 2.3-per-cent increase to its annual operating funding as part of a goal of increasing staffing in several units.

According to a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, the request will allow the service “to invest in some key priorities” primarily through the “reallocation of existing resources” without increasing the total share of the overall Toronto budget.

“While the service has worked hard to do more with less, including reducing our headcount by more than 400 since 2010, improvements in the areas that Torontonians have outlined as priorities require a modest investment, and one that would also allow the service to maintain its current level of service and resources,” the statement said.

It went on to say the service is looking to expand the current complement of 178 officers in 38 priority neighbourhoods as part of its neighbourhood officer program.

It also touted improvements to the Vision Zero traffic enforcement unit, a team of 18 officers that conduct enforcement on speeding, distracted, aggressive and impaired driving offences.

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Boosting resources for hate crime and inter-regional policing investigations as well an expanding enhanced mental health training were also identified as areas of investment.

The revised staffing complements in the units identified and the areas that would see reductions weren’t immediately identified. CityNews sought additional clarity on the budget request, but a response wasn’t received by the time of publication.

The submission will be reviewed by the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) on Jan. 11. The total amount for the service is ultimately approved by the Toronto city council.

In 2021, the TPSB approved a $1.076-billion budget for the service with a zero-per-cent tax increase.

Meanwhile, the City of Toronto’s budget will begin its review of the 2022 budget — the last one before the Oct. 24 municipal election — in mid-January.