Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government will recruit and train more police officers to address increasing crime in the province.
Speaking at a
press conference in Etobicoke on April 25, Ford said in his conversations with provincial and territorial premiers, they all said “the same thing” that there is a “growing wave of crime” across Canada right now.
“In our big and medium sized cities, small and rural communities, we’re seeing increases in auto thefts, assaults, break and enters, and random acts of violence on public transit and on our streets,” Ford told reporters.
The premier cited the case of Toronto where he said major crimes are up 20 percent compared to the same time last year.
“People don’t feel safe. Some are scared to take the subway or to go out for a walk once it gets dark.”
Ford was at the Toronto Police College announcing new measures to address policing shortages in Ontario.
His government
plans to eliminate tuition fees for the basic constable training program at the Ontario Police College and expand enrolment in a bid to get more police officers into communities.
Specifically, 70 recruits per cohort will be added to the program, up to 550, and starting next year, there will be four cohorts per year instead of three, according to
Ford’s office.
In addition, the Ontario government will be introducing legislation that, if passed, removes the need for post secondary education for a potential candidate to become a police officer.
Bail Reform
Ford stressed that provinces are also calling on the federal government to reform its current bail system.“Because we can’t have a justice system where violent criminals are arrested one day and back on the street the next,” he said.
His sentiment echoed that of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith who
said earlier this month that Ottawa’s lack of action on the matter is contributing to the rise of violent crime in her province’s major cities.
Violent attacks, particularly on
Canadian transit, have happened of late in Metro Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Toronto.
A report co-authored by Amanda Butler, a criminologist and health researcher, and former Vancouver deputy police chief Doug LePard, for the B.C. government last year found that
stranger attacks in Vancouver rose by 35 percent between 2020 and 2021 when compared with 2019.
Chief
Myron Demkiw of the Toronto Police Service said despite the force’s best efforts, “service levels are not keeping up” with the increasing demands of the city. He welcomed the new measures by Ford.
“It will help us boost our capacity and get officers on the road sooner,” Demkiw said at the press conference.
Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, also present at the press conference, said he hopes that the announcement will encourage more people “from all walks of life and backgrounds” to join the force.
“We want more people to have the opportunity to be police officers,” he said. “That’s what today’s announcement is all about.”
Peter Wilson and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
