News Release
February 2, 2022

Toronto City Council has approved the year-one implementation plan for SafeTO: Toronto’s 10 Year Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. SafeTO is the City of Toronto’s new and bold approach to community safety that focuses on creating a culture of prevention through collaboration with the community, other orders of government and community safety organizations.

The SafeTO Implementation Plan focuses on seven goals, achieved through 26 actions. As part of year one, the plan focuses 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, and 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.

Through the year-one implementation plan, the City will also lead inter-governmental efforts such as 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. Work to action the SafeTO Implementation Plan will start following the approval of the City’s 2022 budget.

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.

Council approved SafeTO in July 2021. More information on SafeTO can be found on the City’s website.

Council’s decision will require the enactment of a confirmatory bylaw. Read the Council report.

Quotes:

“Addressing community safety has been a top priority for me as Mayor, and I know the way in which we can achieve the goals we have laid out in our SafeTO plan will be met if we work with the community. By shifting our focus on preventing violence rather than reacting to it, we can ensure that we are creating safer communities for all. I am proud of the work that has been done so far and the year one plan. This is a team effort and we are all working together to make our city as safe as possible for everyone. Approval by City Council means we can move forward quickly and continue this important and necessary work that will have a positive impact on the lives of many.”
– Mayor John Tory

“SafeTO establishes collaboration as the cornerstone of our strategy to build and maintain a safe city. This approach will engage multiple sectors, including City agencies, grass-roots groups, community partners and other levels of government to address and resolve the core issues that negatively impact community safety and well-being.”

– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

“Through this first year of SafeTO implementation, we are building a strong foundation for future progress. How we start matters. With Council’s support, we will be working with our partners in community, across systems and governments to build structures of collaboration and mutual action that will bring about the changes that Torontonians need.”

– Denise Andrea Campbell, Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration

“The Toronto Police Service welcomes an expanded opportunity to work with the City and our partners toward a more collaborative response to public safety. SafeTO outlines the many ways police, government and community partners can work more proactively to assist those in mental health crisis, reduce gun violence and support victims of crime. By working in a coordinated way to identify the root causes of issues and develop preventative approaches, we can better serve residents and support safe and healthy communities.”

– Chief James Ramer, Toronto Police Service

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

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