Number of gun, gang unit officers will stay the same after media report about cuts, police say

One of Toronto's deputy police chiefs says the force "is keeping the same number of people" in the gun and gang task force and the drug squad, after a newspaper reported Thursday that the units were slated to be reduced.

Deputy Chief Barbara McLean said Friday the units are being staffed "to what we need. So the numbers will be the same."

She faced questions from reporters before Friday's Police Services Board meeting about a report in the Globe and Mail. That story quoted a police source saying that the number of drug teams will be reduced from six to four and the number of gun and gang units will also be reduced from six to four.

CBC Toronto learned Friday evening that there were vacancies in the guns and gangs units as a result of attrition and the initial plan was not to fill those positions. In a decision made Friday morning in consultation with police management and the Toronto Police Services Board, the force says it will now fill those roles. 

In a statement to CBC early Friday in response to the Globe report, Toronto Police Service spokesperson Meaghan Gray said the units were being "realigned in order to effectively continue the work they have been doing."

The statement acknowledged that the teams have "seen a reduction in numbers as members retire, resign and move around to other units," necessitating a reorganization.

Gray told CBC in the email that she would not confirm any specific numbers.

"The teams are being realigned to compensate for the officers that have been lost. There are no additional cuts being made," she wrote.

When addressing reporters early Friday afternoon, McLean said the number of officers working today will remain the same going forward. When asked what "realignment" meant, McLean would only say that the force will look at where officers are needed and try to respond to community needs accordingly.

The realignment comes after a bloody summer in Toronto. In August, the provincial government committed $25 million to combat gun violence in the city.

'Crisis in staffing'

Mike McCormack, head of the Toronto Police Association, said Friday the force is short between 600 and 700 officers after years of losing them to retirement, as well as decisions to move to other forces in the province.

"We are in a crisis in staffing in policing right now," McCormack said. "We need some solutions that are going to apply right now."

On Thursday, Toronto police Deputy Chief Peter Yuen offered further details of a beefed-up neighbourhood policing program that is set to begin rolling out on Monday.

The first phase calls for an additional 44 officers in eight neighbourhoods across the city, which will be doubled next July. Another increase is scheduled for October 2019.

On Friday, Mayor John Tory said that if he is re-elected next month, he will seek continued funding for the program in the next budget, and seek provincial and federal help, as well.

"We know that building relationships between police and residents in our neighbourhoods, building trust up is one of the most effective tools we have to make our city safer and stronger," Tory said in a statement.

McCormack said he is "one of the biggest supporters" of the neighbourhood officer program. But he questioned whether the force has the personnel.

"My question is, 'Where are you going to get the numbers?' Because that is a hugely resource-heavy program," he said. "Where are they going to get the police officers when we just don't have them?"