Toronto Police Claim They Need Tens of Millions in Increased Funding. Communities Say That's Not What the City Should Prioritize.

As the City of Toronto deliberates the proposed 2025 budget, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) has requested a $46.2 million increase to their net operating budget. This would bring their net annual total to $1.22 billion—a 3.9% rise from 2024. This increase would be funded by property taxes. (The gross budget, which doesn’t include revenues, will be $1.418 billion, or a 4.2% increase from last year.) The proposed police budget includes a multi-year hiring plan to recruit 720 officers over the next two years to enhance frontline services and expand the Neighbourhood Community Officer (NCO) Program into four additional neighbourhoods.

The budget increase will be even higher once a new collective agreement is reached between TPS and the Toronto Police Association. Our previous City Budget Watch blog post highlighted that a proposed multi-year hiring plan could lead to significant financial burdens on the City. With salaries and wages projected to increase by $38.8 million (4.3%) between 2024 and 2025 and additional costs anticipated from ongoing collective bargaining agreements, the long-term sustainability of this budget is questionable. The City's Chief Financial Officer has indicated that a 1% salary hike could add an additional $10 million to the budget.

Breakdown of 2025 TPS Operating Budget by Service Area

911 Response & Patrol (41%), Investigations & Victim Support (35%), Crime Prevention (9%), Events & Protest (2%), Traffic & Parking Enforcement (5%), Courts & Prisoner Management (8%)
Source: Adapted by the author from the TPS Backgrounder - 2025 Operating Budget Request

The 2025 Toronto Police budget focuses heavily on personnel, allocating 90% of the total to “people costs”. The service cost distribution focuses on reactive measures—interventions that take place once a crime occurs or is occuring, with 76% of the operating budget dedicated to 911 response, police patrols, investigations, and victim support. Comparatively, proactive measures such as crime prevention account for only 9% of spending.

The Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC) has critiqued the effectiveness of police patrols and the necessity of deploying two-officer patrol cars after dark. Studies referenced by TPAC suggest that police patrols do not enhance safety despite their high costs. TPAC also highlights the millions of dollars spent on uniformed officers doing traffic duty and handing out parking tickets as well as 911 calls for non-violent incidents (which are the vast majority), that should be diverted to the Toronto Community Crisis Service and other community-led responses. Since many service calls are for non-violent incidents, they do not require the presence of two officers. Some service calls may be better handled by health professionals trained in distress response. The presence of police in these scenarios has been questioned by residents, for example those deputing on TPS’ new pilot response initiative, the Downtown Community Outreach and Response Engagement (CORE). 

Since 911 response and police patrols constitute the most significant portion of the TPS operating budget, reassessing patrol deployment and emergency call strategies could yield substantial cost savings. Transitioning to single-officer patrols after dark, ceasing unnecessary patrols, delegating emergency calls caused by mental and social distress to the Toronto Community Crisis Service, and delegating parking/traffic duties to civilians will reduce personnel costs.

TPS argues that this budget will improve emergency response times and support community engagement. The community, meanwhile, is skeptical.

Addressing Community Concerns

During the City’s budget consultation process with the community 40% of survey respondents expressed a desire to see a decrease in police funding. It was by far the number one service in which people wanted investments to be reallocated elsewhere. (By comparison, the second highest service that people wanted to defund, which was to support Toronto businesses, was selected by only 21% of survey respondents.) The City has been engaging more with residents during the past two budget cycles compared with previous years, yet the thousands of residents calling for the reduction of the police budget have been largely ignored.

Community-based organizations, including the Law Union of Ontario, have also expressed concerns over the increasing police budget, advocating for a reallocation of funds towards social services that address the root causes of crime, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, and inadequate mental health support. They argue that investing in community-based initiatives can lead to more sustainable and equitable outcomes for public safety.

During 2024 community-based budget consultations facilitated by Albion Neighbourhood Services, Toronto residents expressed a desire to reallocate police funding towards other priorities. Participants overwhelmingly identified police services as the primary area where reductions could support investment in more impactful and preventive community services​.

Key Community Concerns:

  1. Oversized Police Budgets: Participants questioned the necessity of substantial annual increases to the police budget, particularly when other critical needs such as affordable housing, mental health services, and violence prevention programs are underfunded.
  2. Accountability and Equity: A recurring theme was concern around a growing budget amidst a lack of accountability for police actions, particularly regarding interactions with marginalized groups, including Black, Indigenous, racialized, and unhoused communities. Participants called for reforms to ensure equitable and non-discriminatory policing practices.
  3. Misaligned Priorities: Many attendees advocated for redirecting police funds to community-based programs that address the root causes of crime, such as a lack of access to housing, education and employment opportunities.

Moving Toward Transparent and Inclusive Decision Making

Community members participating in the budget consultations underscored the importance of transparent and inclusive decision-making. By actively engaging equity-deserving groups in the budget process, the City can ensure that resources align with the needs of its most marginalized residents.

As City Council prepares to vote on the budget on February 11, 2025, it's time to actually listen to residents. The proposed budget is not merely a financial decision but a statement of Toronto’s priorities. The City can create a public safety model that fosters equity and sustainability by addressing systemic issues, and reallocating resources toward upstream solutions such as community services, affordable housing, and youth services, among others. Toronto’s future depends on investments that uplift all residents.

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