THE GATEHOUSE

Throughout our city, there are a number of great organizations that you may never have heard of that do important work in partnership with the TPS.

These organizations support our community policing model, where the community is a vital partner in our efforts to build safe and healthy neighbourhoods.

One of these is The Gatehouse, a Toronto support centre that provides a safe and comfortable setting for criminal investigations of child abuse. This home-like setting is where child welfare personnel and investigating officers can interview children during abuse investigations.

The Gatehouse is able to do its important work through community grants and fundraising. Recently, after learning that The Gatehouse was facing a challenging financial situation, the Toronto Police Services Board donated $150,000. to this important organization.

You can read the story here.

BOARD NAMES REVIEWER

Earlier today, the Toronto Police Services Board approved the retention of The Honourable John W. Morden to conduct the Independent Civilian Review of the policing of the G20 Summit. You can read our news release here.

Mr. Morden has vast experience in matters of public law and civil rights. He also spent considerable time on the bench, including as Associate Chief Justice of Ontario.

In addition, Ryan Teschner will act as Review Counsel. All media and public inquiries on the Independent Civilian Review should now be directed to him.

Further information is available on the Independent Civilian Review's website http://www.g20review.ca/

LONG-GUN REGISTRY

This evening, a majority of the Members of the House of Commons voted to maintain the long-gun registry. You can read the stories here, here and here.

This is great news.

Never before have police boards, police chiefs and police associations come together in such a concerted manner. This cohesiveness has been critical during the drive to educate voters and parliamentarians on why the long-gun registry must be maintained.

To the parliamentarians who voted to maintain the registry, I say thank you.

Thank you for recognizing that the long-gun registry is an important tool in keeping police officers safe.

Thank you for recognizing that the long-gun registry helps keep our communities safe.

Thank you for maintaining this important tool in crime prevention and investigation.

And to Chief Bill Blair, President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and his team -- thank you for being the leaders and the public face of this very important fight.

UNPRECEDENTED MEDIA COVERAGE ON CRITICAL ISSUE

As I read the papers this morning, I was taken by what is a seemingly unprecedented level of media coverage on an issue that has police boards, police services and police associations working together for a common goal.

That is, of course, to save the long-gun registry; a critically important tool in both the prevention and investigation of crime.

I found this letter from the Halifax Chronicle Herald to be a very good summary of this critical issue.

You can read what I have written on this issue here.

NATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF THE LONG-GUN REGISTRY

It is on a very rare and important occasion that the Board, the Service and the Association issue a joint statement.

The National Day in Support of the Gun Registry is one of those occasions.

As I have said previously maintaining the long-gun registry is critical to the safety of our officers and our communities.

Why, I ask, would anyone be interested in disabling such an effective preventative and investigative tool?

The Canadian Association of Police Board's National Day in Support of the Gun Registry, a first of its kind, serves to reinforce the important message that the long-gun registry must be maintained.

Police Boards across the country have a mandate to ensure prevention and enforcement. The long-gun registry is critical for both. That is why we are actively working to maintain it.

For Toronto specifically, it is particularly important as we work daily to help reduce crime in our community.

Here is the statement:

National Day In Support of the Long-Gun Registry
Joint statement from the Toronto Police Services Board, the Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Police Association

The Toronto Police Services Board, the Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Police Association join today to emphasize their support for the long-gun registry, an indispensable tool for the safety of police officers and communities across Canada.

A national firearms registry is a vitally important tool that helps police prevent and investigate crimes, trace firearms and promote individual accountability.

Toronto Police Services Board Chair Alok Mukherjee said, "Across Canada, police boards, police officers and police leaders are working to prevent violent incidents related to firearms. A key tool in this prevention strategy is the federal long-gun registry which provides police with the critical information required to help them do their jobs. Without it, the safety of the officers and the community is put at risk.”

Toronto Police Service Chief William Blair said, “Police all across Canada, in large cities and small towns, from chiefs to frontline officers, understand how the long-gun registry protects police officers and makes communities safer. It is very encouraging to see that, as we explain to Canadians the real value of the registry, more and more people understand its importance to all Canadians.”

Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack said, "Every day, police officers across the country are exposed to potentially violent situations related to firearms. We owe it to our officers and our communities to ensure that every tool at our disposal is being used to prevent violent incidents. The federal long-gun registry is one of these and that is why it is critical that it is maintained.”

The release of the RCMP’s evaluation of the Firearms Program has provided up-to-date, accurate, comprehensive information, allowing Canadians to judge for themselves, on an informed basis.

It says, “Firearms registration is a critical component of the entire firearms program. The program, as a whole, is an important tool for law enforcement. Overall, the Canadian Firearms Program is cost-effective in reducing firearms-related crime and promoting public safety through universal licensing of firearms owners and registration of firearms in Canada.”

TERMS OF REFERENCE

On Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at 4:00PM, the Board will be holding a special meeting to consider the Terms of Reference for our Independent Civilian Review of the Policing of the G20 Summit.

These Terms of Reference were drafted by Doug Hunt, who employed an inclusive, consultative process, incorporating the input from the community as well as key stakeholders and will be used by the Independent Civilian Reviewer who will be appointed in short order.

You can read the agenda and the draft Terms of Reference here.

NATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF THE LONG GUN REGISTRY

Over the last two weeks, there has been extensive coverage on a topic of the utmost importance to the Toronto Police Services Board, and the vast majority of organizations related to policing in Canada, including the Canadian Association of Police Boards (CAPB), the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and the Canadian Police Association.

This issue, of course, is the long gun registry and the critical role that it plays in controlling gun violence in Canada.

At the beginning of the Board meeting last week, on August 26, the Board commended Chief Bill Blair on the admirable job he has done, in his capacity as president of the CACP in bringing a very high public profile to this issue at the CACP convention in August.

You can also watch Mike McCormack, President of the Toronto Police Association, emphasize the value of the registry on an Alberta current affairs show.

In addition, at last week's meeting, the Board approved a motion to reinforce our support for the long gun registry by endorsing the call by the CAPB to observe September 15 as the National Day in Support of the Long Gun Registry. I am gratified that Toronto City Council has followed suit and voted overwhelmingly to support the long gun registry and the National Day on September 15. You can read the Council’s motion here and some subsequent media coverage here.

Our Board has no intention of giving up our fight to maintain the long gun registry. On September 15, 2010, we will join with the CAPB in recognizing the National Day in Support of the Long Gun Registry.

We will continue to reinforce the message that the federal government must not lose sight of the significant benefits of the registry.

It is a matter of great priority for community safety.

A THOROUGH AND COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING

There has been a tremendous amount of media coverage related to the G20 Summit and the different reviews that have been established following. On July 23, the Toronto Star ran an editorial No substitutes for full inquiry that stated “[t]he police services board should be commended for stepping into the vacuum and doing what it can.” You can read my letter to the editor regarding this editorial and other coverage here.

To further expand on my Letter to the Editor, the issues related to policy, governance and oversight that it has raised are among some of the most important that the Toronto Police Services Board has faced in recent time.

This is why, on July 6, 2010, the Board announced the establishment of an Independent Civilian Review (ICR) to conduct a review of the issues raised by the public and Board members in the context of the governance role and policies of the Toronto Police Services Board.

Since the Board’s announcement of the Independent Civilian Review, both the Ontario Ombudsman and the Office of the Independent Police Review Director have announced that they will undertake their own reviews. These are in addition to the SMAART review, which is an internal review of operational issues being conducted by the Toronto Police Service.

Our Board welcomes these reviews and, as evidenced by the motions approved at our meeting on July 22, we will cooperate with these other reviews. We believe that there is considerable merit in having more than one inquiry or investigation. Each agency will be able to pay close attention to the specific issues that fall under its mandate. Together, the results of these exercises should provide a thorough and comprehensive understanding of what went on with respect to policing during the Summit.

The Independent Civilian Review is an important piece of the entire post-G20 Summit accountability process. Alongside the other inquiries into individual conduct, police operations and decision-making, the Toronto Police Services Board is doing its part to ensure effective accountability as an integral part of its mandate of civilian oversight.

INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW: SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT

I believe that questions related to the policy, governance and oversight aspects of the policing of the G20 Summit are among some of the most important issues that the Toronto Police Services Board has faced in recent times. In order to better understand and address these issues, at our special Board meeting on July 6, 2010, we established the Independent Civilian Review of the Oversight of G20 Policing (ICR).

For the last two weeks the Board has been focussed on establishing a process for the ICR. In this time, we have spoken and received input from members of the public, stakeholders, elected officials and the senior command. At its upcoming meeting next week on Thursday, July 22nd, the Board will consider a report from me which elaborates further the process to be followed in getting to the ICR.

I am confident that the Board will have for its consideration the most reasoned and effective approach for the ICR to be done (July 16 release). In developing this process, we have paid attention especially to the importance of receiving suggestions from members of the community at the front end – and not after the fact.

The first task is the development of a set of clear and precise Terms of Reference. In order to do so, I am recommending that the Board engage a lawyer with expertise in policy and governance to work with the Board and interested members of the public. Once completed, the Terms of Reference will be provided to the Independent Civilian Reviewer, to be named in the future.

It will be expected that in writing the Terms of Reference, this person will take into consideration recommendations from members of the public. Accordingly, I encourage anyone interested in providing input into the Terms of Reference for the Independent Civilian Review to request to make a deputation at the Toronto Police Services Board meeting on Thursday July 22, 2010. Alternatively, people may forward a written submission to the Board. Any requests for deputations and written submissions must be forwarded by email to deirdre.williams@tpsb.ca.

The Board will not hear deputations with respect to personal experiences at the G20 Summit or deputations which may be complaints about the conduct of police. These are outside the Board’s statutory role.

Copies of the agenda for the July 22, 2010 meeting will be posted to http://www.tpsb.ca/ by Friday, July 16, 2010.

As we continue through this process I look forward to keeping you apprised and I look forward to your input at the July 22 meeting.

INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW OF THE OVERSIGHT OF G20 POLICING

Earlier today at a special Board meeting the Board approved a recommendation to establish an Independent Civilian Review.

This is an Independent Civilian Review. It is not a public inquiry nor is it being conducted under The Public Inquiries Act. The Terms of Reference will be developed by the Reviewer in consultation with the Board.

Once the Terms of Reference are in place, we expect that this comprehensive review will identify issues and concerns raised by the public and Board members, regarding oversight, governance, accountability, transparency and the communications and supervision issues arising from a multi-jurisdictional model of policing in the context of the governance role and policies of the Board

When the Independent Civilian Review is complete, the Reviewer will submit a report to the Board with recommendations related to policy, structural and systemic issues for consideration and any action, as deemed necessary.

I look forward to keeping you informed as the Independent Civilian Review progresses.

KEY MESSAGES - IN SUPPORT OF LONG GUN REGISTRATION IN CANADA

Below are some key messages that I have recently received from the Canadian Association of Police Board (CAPB). The messages have been developed by the CACP committee that is working to stop passage of Bill C-391 that would end the registration of long guns in Canada.

The information compiled by CACP is very noteworthy and should be used at every opportunity to respond to media, politicians or the public on why it is important to support the registration of long guns in Canada.

For the first time in Canada, we have a level of awareness of differences occurring across the country with respect to front line policing of incidents relating to firearms. We can now demonstrate evidence about the everyday seriousness of firearms in policing and to community safety all across Canada (assaults, violence). This evidence adds the context of rural firearms crime into this issue, instead of firearms being perceived solely as urban guns and gang crime. Finally, we can show the need for firearm controls in the rural areas just as they exist in urban areas due to the significant levels of firearm incidents occurring in rural and small urban areas across Canada.

• Canada’s bigger cities- Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg- contrary to public belief- do not have the highest rates of firearms incidents in Canada. Rural and small urban centres, especially those in the West, have higher rates, sometimes significantly higher, than the large urban centres. The purpose of firearms licensing in combination with registration is to improve community safety and reduce the misuse of firearms across Canada. Clearly this is a discussion that is needed between police and their local communities.
• The overall seriousness of firearms incidents is of great concern for both community and police officer safety as reported by Canada’s rural and small urban policing provider- the RCMP. At least 74% of police-reported firearm incidents in rural and smaller urban areas are related to serious violations such as assaults, violence, threats, and unsafe storage, for example.
• Licensing and registration (firearm controls) are fully supported for handgun crimes occurring in urban areas. The same controls need to be applied for rural areas, where clearly, it is demonstrated that the misuse of primarily long guns is also a significant issue.
• There are thousands of court cases across Canada, and growing every year, that are dependent upon the firearms registry for firearms registration information (4000 requests made for affidavits). Approximately 56% of these cases involve the determination of ownership of a long gun.
• Since 2008, of the 55,000 long guns in police custody for public safety reasons, 46% were able to be traced back to their owner because of the existence of the long gun registry.
• Provinces with the highest number of firearms incidents and persons with prohibition orders are also showing that they refuse fewer license applications and revoke fewer licenses.
• Being able to trace a firearm back to its owner is important. Almost 1/5 of all long guns have been transferred 3 or more times. (859,433/6,510,000)
• Being able to trace a firearm back to its owner is important especially due to unsafe storage and thefts of large numbers of firearms. 129,481 individuals (non-collectors) in Canada legally possess 10 or more firearms; 10,872 individuals in Canada legally possess 30 or more firearms.