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Toronto City Council · 2023-03-29 · 2023.MM5.18

The filed record

Bolstering the Toronto Police Services Hate Crime Unit - by Councillor James Pasternak, seconded by Councillor Jaye Robinson

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The decision

2023-03-29 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on March 29, 30 and 31, 2023, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the Toronto Police Services Board to, as part of its 2023 budgetary and human resources decision making process, consider allocating additional personnel, technology and other resources into the forces' Hate Crime Unit in order to address the growing occurrences of hate in Toronto.

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As the city filed it

All residents in Toronto should be able to go about their daily lives free from harassment and hate. No one should be targeted because of their national origin, race, culture, language, religion, sex/gender, age, mental or physical disability, or sexual orientation. As Toronto grows, it faces a greater challenge in following up on complaints of hate, investigating hate crimes and making sure that occurrence reports are compiled and forwarded to the Attorney General of Ontario for criminal prosecution.

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Crimes of hate are growing. There is also growing complexity in the investigative process. According to the Toronto Police Service Annual Hate Crime Statistical Report of that year, Toronto experienced an unprecedented increase in hate crime reporting in 2020. In 2020, there was an increase of 51 percent from 2019 in the number of hate crimes reported. In 2021, the Toronto Police Service saw another uptick in reported hate crimes being reported with an approximate 22% increase from 2020. Council adopted a similar version of this motion on February 2, 2022 that was seconded by our late colleague, Councillor Cynthia Lai.

Staff recommended

Councillor James Pasternak, seconded by Councillor Jaye Robinson, recommends that: 1. City Council request the Toronto Police Services Board to, as part of its 2023 budgetary and human resources decision making process, consider allocating additional personnel, technology and other resources into the forces' Hate Crime Unit in order to address the growing occurrences of hate in Toronto.

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