Healthy, vibrant neighbourhoods depend on investments in both community safety and community well- being to truly thrive.
In Toronto, the need for a two-pronged approach is even more urgent as the downtown continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and welcomes back shoppers, workers, tourists and visitors after several years.
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As the six large Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in downtown Toronto, we recognize how challenging it can be to balance these different needs during the City’s budget process.
We do believe however that Mayor John Tory’s proposed budget, if approved, offers a balanced and more progressive approach to not only policing, but also social and community initiatives.
On the community safety side, we applaud the mayor’s announcement of a $48.3 million increase in the police budget. For us, this means 20 more 9-1-1 operators to answer calls more quickly when an emergency occurs. It also means 25 more Priority Response Unit (PRU) officers dedicated to the downtown core and boosting response times to emergency calls for service.
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More broadly, the proposed budget boosts the capacity of Toronto Police’s well-received Neighbourhood Community Officer (NCO) program, which will see 16 more NCOs hired and embedded in different city neighbourhoods.
In response to safety concerns on the city’s transit system — after several high-profile incidents in recent months — the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will be able to expand the Special Constable program by 50 officers, a critical step in encouraging workers and visitors back onto transit and into the core.
But as BIAs, we note that policing is just one piece of the puzzle.
On the community well-being side, the budget offers several key investments in crisis services including the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS), a successful non-police response to persons in crisis currently being piloted in the city. The results of the TCCS look promising and expanded funding will help build its capacity and reach.
For the TTC, routes in neighbourhoods that need it most will be prioritized, and 10 more Streets to Homes outreach workers will engage across the system to help vulnerable people on subways, buses and streetcars.
And that’s in addition to the more than $2 billion earmarked for much-needed housing initiatives and financing the Mayor’s 2023 Housing Action Plan.
As Toronto’s six large downtown BIAs, we represent over 10,000 businesses; some $47 billion of commercial real estate; employ more than 400,000 people; occupy Toronto’s busiest transit hub; and populate vibrant centres of retail, finance, hospitality, arts, culture and tourism.
As stewards of our downtown neighbourhoods, we will continue to advocate for safe and vibrant communities and the well-being of everyone who lives, works, studies and visits here.
Submitted on behalf of:
Bloor-Yorkville BIA
Downtown Yonge BIA
St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA
Toronto Downtown West BIA
Toronto Financial District BIA
Waterfront BIA
