Report of the Police Working Group,

Sub-Committee of the Advisory Committee

on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons

The Community Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (June3,1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services:

Purpose:

To respond to a request from Community Services Committee to review the report, entitled "Report and Recommendations of the Police Working Group". This group is a sub-committee of the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications for the City arising from this report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)Council support the recommendations contained in the document "Report and Recommendations of the Police Working Group" and forward the report to the Toronto Police Services Board for consideration; and

(2)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its May 19, 1999, meeting, the Community Services Committee had before it a report (May5,1999) from the City Clerk advising that the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes on October 19, 1998, endorsed the recommendations contained in the report (September1998) from the Police Working Group, a sub-committee of the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons, with a request for consideration by the Community Services Committee.

The Committee referred the report to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services for a report back to Community Services Committee. This report provides a review of the Police Working Group report and makes recommendations accordingly (a copy of the Police Working Group report is attached in Appendix A).

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The Police Working Group is an established sub-committee of the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons. The group was pulled together following the Coroner's Inquest into the deaths of Eugene Upper, et. al., to address issues of police training and education as well as to develop strategies to improve communication between the police, community-based service providers and people who are homeless.

The membership of the working group includes people who have experienced homelessness, community-based service providers, City staff, and representatives from the Police Service including the Chief of Police's designate on homeless issues. This diversity in membership was intentional to ensure that all relevant stakeholders had an opportunity to participate in developing the strategies recognizing that everyone has a role to play in ensuring communities are safe and liveable.

The report developed by the Police Working Group provides concrete first steps to improving the relationship between the police, community service providers and people who are homeless. Historically, there have been tensions between these groups primarily on the issue of how the police should intervene with people who are homeless. The Coroner's Inquest jury determined that there are many situations when enforcement in not the best approach and that police should draw on community supports and services in these cases. This issue is becoming increasingly relevant as Toronto continues to experience rising numbers of people sleeping rough on the streets and living in parks and ravines.

The recommendations of the Police Working Group represent positive strategies to improve communications between the police and community service providers, to provide the police with alternatives to enforcement when dealing with a homeless person and suggestions on how to enhance police training and education by incorporating issues related to homelessness. Key to the proposal is the establishment of a formal linkage between the Toronto Police Communication Centre and an information and referral phone service, such as the Street Helpline/Community Information Toronto. This would enable police officers on the street to make immediate referrals or seek assistance, where appropriate, from community services such as street patrols, outreach services, hostels, drop-ins and meal programs thereby providing a response likely more helpful for the individual than enforcement.

The City of Toronto has made a strong commitment to address the growing homeless crisis. Council has approved a wide range of strategies, most recently in response to the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force report, aimed at alleviating homelessness in our City. The recommendations of the Police Working Group represent additional proactive responses to homelessness in Toronto developed through a collaborative partnership between the police, the City, service providers and people who are homeless. It is therefore recommended that Council support the recommendations of the Police Working Group and forward its report to the Toronto Police Services Board for consideration.

Conclusions:

The report developed by the Police Working Group provides concrete first steps to improving the relationship between the police, community service providers and people who are homeless. This issue is increasingly relevant in Toronto as the number of people living rough on the street continues to rise. The recommendations proposed by the Police Working Group focus on strategies to improve communication, provide the police with alternatives to enforcement when dealing with a homeless person and to enhance police training and education by incorporating issues related to homelessness. It is therefore recommended that Council support the recommendations of the Police Working Group report and forward its report to the Toronto Police Services Board for consideration.

Contact Name:

Susan Shepherd

Tel: 392-5398/Fax: 392-8492

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Appendix A

Report and Recommendations

of the

Police Working Group

Sub-Committee of the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons

September 1998

Introduction:

The Police Working Group has been effective in bringing together the key stakeholders to begin to address issues between the police, service providers and people without homes. Historically, there have been tensions between police and some homeless service providers who tend to approach social issues such as homelessness from different perspectives. Toronto's increase in homelessness has resulted in more and more people living rough on the street and also more interventions with homeless people by the police. The recent political focus on panhandling and the squeegee trade have also added to the tensions. The Police Working Group is committed to breaking down barriers between the police, community agencies and people without homes by increasing communication, encouraging open dialogue and finding solutions, recognizing that everyone has a role to play in ensuring communities are safe and liveable.

This report outlines the issues of mutual interest identified thus far by the Police Working Group along with recommendations for future action.

Recommendations:

To improve communication and promote co-operation among the Toronto Police Service, community-based service providers and people without homes, the Police Working Group seeks endorsement from the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons of the following recommendations. Specifically that:

(1)the Police Working Group seek standing with the Police Services Board to act as a consultative committee on areas of mutual concern between the Police, community-based agencies and people without homes. In this capacity, the Police Working Group will present issues identified by the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons to the Police Services Board;

(2)a formal linkage be made between the Toronto Police Communication Centre and a 24hour/day, year round, telephone information and referral service, such as the Street Helpline/Community Information Toronto, to enable police to make timely and appropriate referrals for people without homes to community-based support services such as hostels, outreach, drop-ins and meal programs. And further, that any future components be developed co-operatively between all parties as needs emerge;

(3)the Police Services Board support mechanisms to facilitate and enhance open communication between local police divisions and community-based service providers on homeless issues and concerns arising at the local level;

(4)people without homes and community-based service providers who work in the area of homelessness be encouraged to participate in the Community-Police Liaison Committee in their area to ensure homeless issues and perspectives are represented at this level;

(5)the Police Training and Education Unit provide training for new recruits, police officers and civilian staff in the Communication Centre on issues of homelessness, which would include sensitivity training, information on constitutional rights and freedoms, the availability and role of community supports and services as well as alternative approaches to enforcement such as harm reduction. And further, that the expertise of community-based agencies and people who have experienced homelessness be utilized in this education process;

(6)the Police Training and Education Unit, the Community Policing Support Unit, the Ontario Association of Hostels Training Centre and the Police Working Group collaborate in the development of a cross-training package to provide education between Police, community based agencies and people without homes on respective roles and responsibilities and mutual areas of concern with respect to homelessness and safety;

(7)the Police Working Group continue to explore viable harm reduction strategies as alternatives to enforcement for people without homes in public spaces; and

(8)this report be forwarded to the Police Services Board, the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes, the Homelessness Action Task Force, the Provincial Task Force on Homelessness and Toronto's Emergency and Protective Services Committee, for consideration.

Background:

The Police Working Group was formed following the Coroner's Inquest in 1996 into the freezing deaths of Eugene Upper, Mirsalah-Aldin Kompani and Irwin Anderson. The purpose of the sub-committee is to address issues of police training and education as well as to develop strategies for improving communication between the police, community-based service providers and people without homes.

The membership of the sub-committee includes people who have experienced homelessness, community-based service providers, City staff, representatives from Police Divisions 11, 14, 51 and 52, along with the Chief of Police's designate for homeless issues, Staff Inspector Bill Blair and the Co-ordinator for Homeless Issues, Scott Maywood of the Community Policing Support Unit (see Appendix I for list of members.)

Communication Issues:

The Coroner's Inquest highlighted the need for police to work more closely with community service providers to more appropriately respond to the needs of people who are living rough on the street. Improving communication is key to this process. The Inquest jury concluded that there are often situations when enforcement is not the best approach for dealing with someone who is homeless and that police should be utilizing community resources under these circumstances.

Building on this recommendation, the Police Working Group proposes that a formal link be established between the Police Communication Centre (dispatch) and a 24-hour/day, seven day a week, telephone information and referral service, such as Community Information Toronto's Street Helpline. This connection would allow an officer on the street direct access to the range of available community services and supports thereby providing the officer with options that may be more appropriate than enforcement. The Community Information Toronto/Street Helpline has the most up to date listing of services with information on hours of operation and, in the case of hostels, often which shelters have beds available on any given night. The Helpline also has established relationships with outreach services that can be called upon for support when necessary.

Often individual police officers are not aware of the services and supports that exist in the community that they can draw upon for assistance. The establishment of a formal connection between the police and an information and referral service, such as the Street Helpline, would enable all police officers to have access to the community resources available across the City. This information, combined with police training on issues of homelessness, is one strategy aimed at ensuring appropriate responses by the police to people without homes. While there are clear circumstances when police enforcement is necessary, in the majority of situations a referral to a local community service is likely the most helpful approach.

Each police division has a Community Police Liaison Committee which includes police, residents and businesses in the local community. To date, there has been limited involvement in these committees by people without homes or community agencies and therefore homeless issues and perspectives tend not to be represented. Encouraging participation by these groups would increase the opportunities for addressing homeless issues at the neighbourhood level. A comprehensive orientation on homeless issues is also recommended for new Community Liaison Officers.

Training and Education:

Increased police training on the dynamics of homelessness was also recommended in the Coroner's Inquest final report. Given the growing crisis of homelessness in Toronto, training for police officers who are intervening with people without homes is increasingly relevant. Education on the causes and consequences of homelessness can help an officer to respond in an informed and supportive way. Training for the civilians who staff the Communications Centre (dispatch) is also critical if a direct link between the Centre and an information and referral phone service, such as the Community Information Toronto/Street Helpline, is to be set up.

In addition, the Police Education and Training Unit offers a course on diversity which includes information on cultural differences as well as mental health issues. This course is currently being revised to include a component on homelessness. The Police Working Group seeks to ensure this course is comprehensive in its scope and is provided not only to new recruits but also to platoon officers. Also, that the expertise of community-based agencies and people without homes be utilized in this education process.

In terms of cross-training, the police have already partnered with the Ontario Association of Hostels Training Centre to provide training for hostel workers on safety issues. This opportunity should be expanded to allow training back and forth between the police and community agencies.

The Police Working Group is committed to exploring harm reduction strategies through which the police and community-based agencies can work together to ensure people without homes, who may be experiencing a wide range of issues from substance abuse to mental health, will receive the most appropriate support.

Conclusion:

Toronto has seen a dramatic increase in homelessness, most evident by the number of people "sleeping rough" or forced to panhandle or squeegee in order to survive. At the same time, the police are increasingly being called upon to deal with homeless people on the street.

A safe and healthy community requires a commitment from all members of the community - police, schools, churches, businesses, services and residents - to work together. The Police Working Group is interested in building on what is working already and, where problems exist, in exploring creative approaches to resolving these issues. The recommendations in this report on improving communication between the police and community agencies and enhancing training and education of police and community agencies are intended as steps toward building a more effective community system to respond to the needs of people without homes in Toronto.

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Appendix I

Police Working Group Members

David Bergeron - Former street youth and squeegee experience. Out of the Cold maintenance worker;

Glen Barenthin - P.C., 14 Division C.R.U., Toronto Police Service ;

Bill Blair - Staff Inspector, 51 Division Toronto Police Service (Chief's Designate);

Dennis Brooks - Security Service and Support Staffing Provider;

Steve Clarke - P.C., 11 Division C.R.U. Toronto Police Service;

Bruce Cameron - Former street experience. Peer counsellor, Street Helpline;

Maria Cox - Housing Worker, Christian Resource Centre;

David Dufoe - Houselink;

Alice Gorman - Community Relations Officer, Toronto Public Health;

Terry James - Human Resources, Recruitment, Toronto Police Service;

Martin Mason - Sergeant, 52 Division, Toronto Police Service;

Scott Maywood - Mental Health Liaison Officer, Toronto Police Service;

Alicia Odette - Registered Nurse, Street Health;

Sandra Seaborn - Community Information Toronto, Street Helpline;

Susan Shepherd - City of Toronto;

Nancy Sidle - COTA;

Denise Toulouse - Anishnawbe Street Patrol; and

Evadne Wilkinson (chair) - Resource Coordinator, Out of the Cold.

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Appendix II

Summary of Police Working Group Learning Process

-Forum - In the fall of 1997 a cross section of agency members, clergy, police officers and people with street experience addressed issues of police training, alternatives to criminalization of homeless activities, integration of services etc.

-Police Operations Hierarchy, Protocol and Division of Responsibilities.

-Police Officer Recruitment - Core requirements and testing procedures.

-Police Officer Training - Initial College training and routine follow ups.

-Complaints Procedures - Past and current complaints process.

-Police Communications Centre - Pathways from citizen to centre to responding services.