By Nick Westoll
The number of shootings in Toronto is way up compared to the past two years, according to new police stats.
The Toronto Police Service’s year-to-date numbers show 103 people have been killed or injured in shootings this year — a 56% increase compared to this point last year and a 25.6% increase compared to 2013.
And since those figures were released last week, two more people have been shot to death and five more sent to hospital.
Toronto hasn’t seen this type of spike in gun violence since 2012, which has many people asking what’s being done to address the problem.
“We did recognize that there is … this localized increase, in shooting violence that demanded a response,” Deputy Chief Mike Federico told the Toronto Sun. “We started to focus more specifically on that in recent weeks.”
Federico said the service has increased divisional officer patrols, bail compliance monitoring, resources to try to stop the flow of guns, as well as the use of special assets such as the high-visibility TAVIS unit and undercover officers.
He said the guns and gangs unit continues to try to disrupt gang activity.
“It’s worth the effort because we know … activity related to gang activities results in real harm,” Federico said. “These aren’t societies and associations with benevolent interests, these are gangs who coalesce around some common criminal activity.”
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Police believe there are several possible reasons for the spike, Federico said.
“(The statistics) coincide with the major projects, the apprehensions, the incarcerations and then the release,” he said. “Are people returning to their criminal lifestyle? Is their absence from the street being filled by up-and-comers?”
Federico said the force has been trying to take a holistic approach to solving and preventing crime.
“Every time we’re putting together operational plans in the city of Toronto now, we’re doing it in concert with other city services,” he said, adding police work with community agencies to see what supports can be offered to people “so they don’t start or continue a cycle of violence or victimization.”
“Overall, there’s still a downward trend in crime rates and crime severity rates in Toronto … (but) we are experiencing what looks like a seasonal variation.”
When asked Friday about the recent rash of shootings, Mayor John Tory stressed “we live in a very safe city.”
“We had a meeting of the police services board (Thursday) and we did have some discussion about this,” Tory told reporters at the Canadian National Exhibition. “All I can say is that I am satisfied that the police are addressing every possible resource to this to make sure that people are apprehended who are engaged in this kind of violent activity and that that is going to make a difference on what we’ve seen happening over the last couple of weeks.”
“Toronto remains a very safe city. We’re not complacent, but we don’t want to create hysteria,” Federico said.
