City mulls expansion of civilian response program

The mayor’s executive committee voted Wednesday to look at the cost of expanding a pilot program that will dispatch civilian response teams to handle some specific 911 calls, including threats of suicide.

If the motion is approved by council next week, staff will expand the current list of four community partners and potential pilot areas through a request for expressions of interest.

Staff will then report back to council on potential budgetary impacts of expanding the program.

“The traditional model of policing doesn’t always work,” said Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13 Toronto Centre), who expressed concern that the four pilot projects scheduled to launch in March and June leave an important part of the downtown unserviced.

“We’re going to have to think very quickly of how we cover the entire city,” she said.

Toronto’s first two Community Crisis Support Service teams are scheduled to launch a little more than a year after council voted unanimously in favour of the idea, in response to community protests over the way police handle calls regarding people in crisis, in particular mental-health calls.

The teams will be staffed by civilians including mental-health experts and nurses. They will be sent to calls that are non-emergency.

Denise Campbell, executive director, social development, for the city of Toronto and the person overseeing the project, told councillors staff are working with a branding team to come up with a name and branding for the vehicles. She said the service needs to be identifiable.

She added that a citywide education campaign will be launched to help residents recognize and understand the service.

Coun. James Pasternak (Ward 6 York Centre), said the four teams will help reduce the strain on police and hospital services. He added that it’s important to gather information on the pilot programs when they launch and make changes as needed.

So far, the four pilot programs are expected to cost the city just over $11 million, including setup costs in 2021 and projected operating costs in 2022.

Mayor John Tory said that while he supports the civilian teams, he does not agree with recent calls to entirely defund Toronto Police Services.

Committee members also endorsed city staff plans for the new “SafeTO” 10-year community safety plan to funnel resources to neighbourhoods struggling with gun violence and other crises.