City of Toronto report outlines implementation plan for SafeTO – Toronto’s 10 Year Community Safety and Well-Being Plan

Today, Mayor John Tory provided details on an upcoming report that will be considered at the Executive Committee on January 26 which outlines the implementation plan for SafeTO. SafeTO: Toronto’s Ten-Year Community Safety and Well-Being Plan is the City’s new and bold approach to community safety by focusing on creating a culture of prevention through collaboration with the community, other levels of government and community safety organizations.

The SafeTO Implementation Plan focuses on seven goals which will be achieved through 26 actions. As part of year one, the plan will focus on building a strong foundation which includes:

• The introduction of an alternative crisis support service model that is community-led, client-centred, trauma-informed and focused on reducing harm, which will be delivered through four community pilots.
• The establishment of a Toronto Office to Prevent Gun Violence, through engagement with appropriate partners, to work with the community to enhance coordination of gun violence prevention and intervention efforts.
• Better support for victims and communities impacted by violence, by enhancing the Community Crisis Response Program and community partnerships that provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive supports.
• The creation of a multi-sector data centre for the purpose of informing real-time policy development and service planning.

The implementation plan also recommends that the City lead inter-governmental efforts —identifying investment priorities, creating long-term partnerships focused on shared outcomes, identifying opportunities to better coordinate and align existing investments and affecting policy change — as well as engage the community through formalizing the SafeTO Advisory Table. The group will be made up of City Divisions and Agencies, and will also include multiple sectors, grass-roots groups, and community leaders representing several core issues.

A total of $12.052 million in funding for the SafeTO year-one implementation plan will be considered along with other City priorities, as part of the City’s 2022 Budget process.

Following consideration by Executive Committee, the report will be considered by City Council on February 2 and 3.

Read the City staff report: SafeTO Implementation Plan here.

More information on SafeTO can be found on the City’s website.

Quote:

“SafeTO is a bold yet necessary plan that will have a great impact on our city. We know community safety can be accomplished by working together and collaboratively with organizations and impacted communities. As part of our work to ensure that this plan is successful, our first year will focus on programs that will help us achieve the goals we have outlined in our plan to create a safer city for all. We know that if we want to address this issue and get to the root of it, we need to change our approach and focus on preventing crime rather than reacting to it – this plan will help us achieve this.”
– Mayor John Tory

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