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←Board of Health · 2019-11-12 · 2019.HL11.1

The filed record

Community Violence in Toronto - A Public Health Approach

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The decision

2019-11-26 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on November 26 and 27, 2019, adopted the following: 1. City Council urge the Federal Government to: a. prohibit the availability, sale, possession, and use of handguns, assault rifles, semi-automatic military assault weapons, and parts that are used to build firearms in Canada; and b. adequately fund its Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence and consult with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors' Caucus to ensure that there is support for community-level prevention and enforcement efforts.

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2. City Council urge the Provincial Government to: a. restore funding to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; b. restore funding to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan; c. take actions, particularly within the Ministry of Health's Mental Health and Addictions portfolios, to address the interrelated challenges of substance use and mental health issues, including prevention, treatment, and community support programs; d. adopt Bill 129, An Act to amend the Health Insurance Act and the Health Protection and Promotion Act in respect of addressing gun violence and its impacts, which will increase access to hospital-based violence interventions and affordable trauma-informed mental health supports to individuals exposed to violence, and amend this Bill to include that trauma-informed mental health supports be located in accessible community settings; e. ban the sale of ammunition in the City of Toronto; and f. focus and strengthen the strict implementation of laws over gun sales and the inspection of gun dealers and shooting ranges. 3. City Council request Statistics Canada to collect representative data on the exposure to community violence at the municipal level through their national surveys, including the Canadian Community Health Survey and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, to enable the analysis of the health and other impacts of community violence. 4. City Council request City Divisions and encourage the Provincial and Federal Governments to use the social determinants of health in applications for projects funded through granting programs/strategies, including the federal National Crime Prevention Strategy. 5. City Council require City Divisions to adjust the "Equity Impact Statements" in their staff reports to reveal a more direct correlation with the "Financial Impact" sections for every recommendation brought before City Council for information and consideration. 6. City Council request the City of Toronto's Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to consider the report (October 23, 2019) from the Medical Officer of Health for its programs and services. 7. City Council request all Toronto School Boards to add questions about exposure to community violence in their school climate surveys or to use other research tools to provide baseline data for Toronto Public Health and Social Development, Finance and Administration to support the development of culturally-sensitive programs that deal with the effects of community violence, including counselling programs for unspoken trauma and community trauma stemming from community violence to be delivered by community and social services organizations. 8. City Council forward this Item to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Big City Mayors' Caucus, the Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate, the Toronto Police Services Board, all Toronto School Boards, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Public Health Ontario, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Provincial Ministers of the Solicitor General, the Attorney General, Children, Community and Social Services, Education, Health, and Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the Federal Ministers of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Public Safety Canada and Emergency Preparedness, Health, and Families, Children and Social Development.

The vote

Adopt Item · Carried, 21-2

For (21)Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Cynthia Lai, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata, Gary Crawford, Gord Perks, James Pasternak, Jennifer McKelvie, Jim Karygiannis, Joe Cressy, John Filion, John Tory, Josh Matlow, Kristyn Wong-Tam, Mark Grimes, Mike Colle, Mike Layton, Paul Ainslie, Paula Fletcher, Shelley Carroll
Against (2)Michael Ford, Stephen Holyday
Absent (3)Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson
The whole record, all 26 members

Every name opens that member’s record.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

This report responds to requests from the Board of Health for the Medical Officer of Health to report on a number of issues related to community violence in Toronto. This includes examining the extent of community violence, the impact on the broader community, and identifying effective evidence-informed interventions to prevent incidents of community violence and mitigate negative impacts of violence at the community level.

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Community violence is defined as intentional acts of interpersonal violence often committed in public areas by individuals who are not intimately related to the victim. Common types of community violence include individual or group conflicts, such as fights among gangs and other groups, use of weapons, and shootings in public areas. This can be due to various circumstances, including retaliation or fights in relation to illicit activity. Evidence shows that community violence often occurs among young people, particularly men, and is a health equity issue that disproportionately affects communities facing socio-economic disadvantage. Community safety is of primary concern to Toronto Public Health (TPH). A review of local data shows that while police-reported community violence decreased between 2009 and 2017, it has increased in recent years. Firearm-related violent crime in Toronto has increased, among youth and adults. Community violence has physical and mental health impacts on the victim, perpetrator, family, friends, neighbours, and the entire city. Many intersecting social and economic factors contribute to this complex issue of growing public health concern. Population-level data gaps prevent us from seeing a complete picture of community violence in the city. Data limitations include lack of socio-demographic information to examine experiences of different groups, underreporting of incidents of community violence, and a lack of population survey data on the physical and mental health impacts of exposure to violence. TPH is exploring opportunities and has taken steps to help fill some of these gaps through existing surveys.

Staff recommended

The Medical Officer of Health recommends that: 1. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to work with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to identify, collect, and review data on the impacts of community violence for appropriate action by Toronto Public Health and other City Divisions. 2. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to work with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to inform the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan by bringing a public health perspective and identifying other relevant issues.

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3. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to work with the General Manager, Children's Services, and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, on including a child and youth component in the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan and engaging children and youth in the development process. 4. The Board of Health urge the provincial government to adopt Bill 129, An Act to amend the Health Insurance Act and the Health Protection and Promotion Act in respect of addressing gun violence and its impacts, which will increase access to hospital-based violence interventions and affordable trauma-informed mental health supports to individuals exposed to violence. 5. The Board of Health urge the provincial government to ban the sale of handgun ammunition in the City of Toronto, consistent with City Council's decision in June 2019 on Item EX6.7, City Powers to Regulate Firearms and Ammunition and Update on Related Initiatives. 6. The Board of Health urge the federal government to prohibit the availability, sale, possession, and use of handguns, assault rifles, and semi-automatic firearms in Canada, consistent with City Council's decision in June 2019 on Item EX6.7, City Powers to Regulate Firearms and Ammunition and Update on Related Initiatives. 7. The Board of Health encourage the federal government to identify and assess criteria for addressing the social determinants of health in applications for projects funded through its National Crime Prevention granting program/strategy. 8. The Board of Health request Statistics Canada to collect representative data on the exposure to community violence at the municipal level through their national surveys, including the Canadian Community Health Survey and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, to enable the analysis of the health and other impacts of community violence. 9. The Board of Health forward this report to the Toronto Police Services Board, all Toronto school boards, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Public Health Ontario, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the provincial Ministers of the Solicitor General, the Attorney General, Children, Community and Social Services, Education, Health, and Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the federal Ministers of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Public Safety Canada and Emergency Preparedness, Health, and Families, Children and Social Development.

Considered

  • 2019-11-12 · Board of Health · amended

    Decision as filed

    The Board of Health recommends that: 1. City Council urge the federal government to: a. prohibit the availability, sale, possession, and use of handguns, assault rifles, semi-automatic military assault weapons, and parts that are used to build firearms in Canada; and b. adequately fund their Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence and consult with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors' Caucus to ensure that there is support for community-level prevention and enforcement efforts.

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    2. City Council urge the provincial government to: a. restore funding to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; b. restore funding to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan; c. take actions, particularly within the Ministry of Health's Mental Health and Addictions portfolios, to address the interrelated challenges of substance use and mental health issues, including prevention, treatment, and community support programs; d. adopt Bill 129, An Act to amend the Health Insurance Act and the Health Protection and Promotion Act in respect of addressing gun violence and its impacts, which will increase access to hospital-based violence interventions and affordable trauma-informed mental health supports to individuals exposed to violence, and amend this Bill to include that trauma-informed mental health supports be located in accessible community settings; e. ban the sale of ammunition in the City of Toronto; and f. focus and strengthen the strict implementation of laws over gun sales and the inspection of gun dealers and shooting ranges. 3. City Council request Statistics Canada to collect representative data on the exposure to community violence at the municipal level through their national surveys, including the Canadian Community Health Survey and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, to enable the analysis of the health and other impacts of community violence. 4. City Council request City Divisions and encourage the provincial and federal governments to use the social determinants of health in applications for projects funded through granting programs/strategies, including the federal National Crime Prevention Strategy. 5. City Council consider requiring City Divisions to adjust the "Equity Impact Statements" in their staff reports to reveal a more direct correlation with the "Financial Impact" sections for every recommendation brought before City Council for information and consideration. 6. City Council request the City of Toronto's Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to consider the report (October 23, 2019) from the Medical Officer of Health for their programs and services. 7. City Council request all Toronto school boards to add questions about exposure to community violence in their school climate surveys or to use other research tools to provide baseline data for Toronto Public Health and Social Development, Finance and Administration to support the development of culturally-sensitive programs that deal with the effects of community violence, including counselling programs for unspoken trauma and community trauma stemming from community violence to be delivered by community and social services organizations. 8. City Council forward the report (October 23, 2019) from the Medical Officer of Health to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Big City Mayors' Caucus, the Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate, the Toronto Police Services Board, all Toronto school boards, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Public Health Ontario, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the provincial Ministers of the Solicitor General, the Attorney General, Children, Community and Social Services, Education, Health, and Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the federal Ministers of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Public Safety Canada and Emergency Preparedness, Health, and Families, Children and Social Development.

    Clerk’s note

    The Board of Health: 1. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to: a. work with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to identify, collect, and review disaggregated socio-demographic and race-based data on the impacts of community violence for appropriate action by Toronto Public Health and other City Divisions and report to the Board of Health annually; b. work with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and community agencies and other voluntary organizations to inform the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan by bringing a public health perspective, informed by health equity, health promotion, anti-racism, trauma-informed care, and adverse childhood experiences, and identifying other relevant issues; c.

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    work with the General Manager, Children's Services, and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, on including a child and youth component in the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan and engaging children and youth in the development process; d. implement gun violence and health intervention programs and services within the public health mandate that support the Social Development, Finance and Administration Division, in partnership with community agencies and voluntary organizations; and e. report on the connections between social inclusion and gun violence and the feasibility of a municipal declaration of "a right to belong", in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration.

  • 2019-11-26 · Toronto City Council · adopted

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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