Community Safety
Community Safety means feeling secure in our homes and feeling safe in our streets and parks. Our neighbourhood is covered by 51 Division, headquartered at 51 Parliament Street. The Church Wellesley neighbourhood has four community police officers assigned to our area.
Who to Call
9-1-1
Where people or property are at immediate risk and Police, Firefighters or Ambulance are needed, call 911.
Toronto Police - Village Community Officers
For non-emergency local issues, where people or property are not at immediate risk, email the Toronto Police Village Community Officers: [email protected]
2-1-1 - Support You Need When You Need It the Most
The Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) provides free, confidential, in-person mental health supports city-wide from mobile crisis worker teams. TCCS supports Toronto residents 16 years of age or older and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Call 211 to be Connected to TCCSThe service provides a non-police-led, community-based, client focused, and trauma-informed response to mental health crisis calls and wellness checks. A trauma informed approach promotes healing and recovery and takes into account a client’s life experiences.
TCCS also provides:
Here to Help De-escalation Team
See someone in distress while out in the neighbourhood? Witness an interaction or behaviour that makes you concerned a situation might rise to a violent conflict? Call Here to Help (H2H):
Tuesday to Saturday, 12 pm to 10 pm, 416-915-4200
Here to Help website
The H2H team is a collaborative, community-based, mobile team that responds to immediate concerns in the community to help with situations that may give rise to conflict. The response team’s goal is to de-escalate situations, mitigate crisis and perform activities including wellness checks, crisis counselling, at-risk to self or other assessments, and nonviolent conflict resolution.
Who to Call
9-1-1
Where people or property are at immediate risk and Police, Firefighters or Ambulance are needed, call 911.
Toronto Police - Village Community Officers
For non-emergency local issues, where people or property are not at immediate risk, email the Toronto Police Village Community Officers: [email protected]
2-1-1 - Support You Need When You Need It the Most
The Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) provides free, confidential, in-person mental health supports city-wide from mobile crisis worker teams. TCCS supports Toronto residents 16 years of age or older and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Call 211 to be Connected to TCCSThe service provides a non-police-led, community-based, client focused, and trauma-informed response to mental health crisis calls and wellness checks. A trauma informed approach promotes healing and recovery and takes into account a client’s life experiences.
TCCS also provides:
- referrals and connections to other services
- resources and information
- post-crisis follow-up supports
Here to Help De-escalation Team
See someone in distress while out in the neighbourhood? Witness an interaction or behaviour that makes you concerned a situation might rise to a violent conflict? Call Here to Help (H2H):
Tuesday to Saturday, 12 pm to 10 pm, 416-915-4200
Here to Help website
The H2H team is a collaborative, community-based, mobile team that responds to immediate concerns in the community to help with situations that may give rise to conflict. The response team’s goal is to de-escalate situations, mitigate crisis and perform activities including wellness checks, crisis counselling, at-risk to self or other assessments, and nonviolent conflict resolution.
The Village Network
The CWNA is a member of the Village Critical Incident and Emergency Response Network (The Village Network), which meets monthly to share information on community safety issues. The Network is made up of City agencies, service providers and resident representatives.
The Village Network coordinates the response to an event that threatens the health, security or safety of the Village and surrounding community, such as assaults, serious injury or death. When a critical incident occurs, The Village Network coordinates the delivery of services to the neighbourhood from city departments and community service providers, aiming to restore neighbourhood safety, security, well-being and a sense of community.
The CWNA is a member of the Village Critical Incident and Emergency Response Network (The Village Network), which meets monthly to share information on community safety issues. The Network is made up of City agencies, service providers and resident representatives.
The Village Network coordinates the response to an event that threatens the health, security or safety of the Village and surrounding community, such as assaults, serious injury or death. When a critical incident occurs, The Village Network coordinates the delivery of services to the neighbourhood from city departments and community service providers, aiming to restore neighbourhood safety, security, well-being and a sense of community.
Police Community Consultation
The CWNA participates in monthly meetings of the Toronto Police Service LGBTQ2S+ Community Consultation Committee. Consultation committees are meant to serve specific communities on a city-wide basis. The membership is drawn from organizations within each of these communities to reflect both inclusiveness and credibility within that community. These committees serve as voices on wider policing issues such as training, recruiting, professional standards and community mobilization. The recommendations of the Missing and Missed Report are a touchstone for the LGBTQ2S+ Committee.
The CWNA participates in monthly meetings of the Toronto Police Service LGBTQ2S+ Community Consultation Committee. Consultation committees are meant to serve specific communities on a city-wide basis. The membership is drawn from organizations within each of these communities to reflect both inclusiveness and credibility within that community. These committees serve as voices on wider policing issues such as training, recruiting, professional standards and community mobilization. The recommendations of the Missing and Missed Report are a touchstone for the LGBTQ2S+ Committee.
The Missing and Missed Report and Recommendations
In April of 2021, an independent review into the police investigations of eight gay men who went missing from the Village, and were later discovered murdered, found deep systemic failings in the Toronto Police Service and made 151 recommendations to address these weaknesses.
Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman went missing between 2010 and 2017. Bruce McArthur was arrested in January 2018 and pleaded guilty to eight counts of first degree murder in January 2019.
The review also investigated the mishandling of missing persons reports for Tess Richey and Alloura Wells, both found deceased in 2017.
The independent review, launched in 2018, found that investigators could have identified McArthur as a suspect years before he was arrested, but failed to do so.
It also found that marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+ people; Indigenous and racialized communities; the homeless; those who struggle with mental illness and addictions; sex workers; and migrants have been overpoliced and underserviced.
The Toronto Police Service stated that it would implement all of the recommendations in the report.
The full report is here.
The Downtown East Action Plan
In November 2017, Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam coordinated a Healthy Neighbourhoods Summit, bringing together residents, businesses, City of Toronto staff and community partners. Following feedback from the event, the Councillor led the creation of the 5-year Downtown East Action Plan.
Taking into consideration the complexities of addiction, mental health and shelter availability, the aim of the plan is to reduce harm and create welcoming public spaces for all residents.
The 5-year Downtown East Action Plan includes increasing city service and staff levels to respond to the addiction and mental health crises we are experiencing downtown. This includes improved front-line staff training for overdose prevention and mental health and new peer-to-peer and harm-reduction hires to do direct outreach with vulnerable community members.
The action plan includes increased park maintenance operations and more Parks Ambassadors to maintain order and connect vulnerable populations to services. The City has also increased laneway cleaning, including needle collection, and stepped up street sweeping operations.
A community services coordinator integrates the work of municipal and community agencies in the Downtown East to work with residents, communities and City staff. The 5-year action plan will address root causes, including the failings in housing, shelters, and social supports that have contributed to the current addictions and mental health crisis.
Challenges and Cause for Optimism
Our neighbourhood has been witness to a perfect storm of sorts. The apparent mishandling of the cases of missing and murdered men and women by police weakened trust in those whose duty it is to protect. Lack of funding to deal with the root causes of addiction, mental health issues and inadequate housing culminated in a less safe and secure experience of our streets and parks. COVID-19 has worsened the situation and complicated the response. But governments, community agencies, the police and others have taken action on multiple fronts and are working together to find solutions.
In April of 2021, an independent review into the police investigations of eight gay men who went missing from the Village, and were later discovered murdered, found deep systemic failings in the Toronto Police Service and made 151 recommendations to address these weaknesses.
Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman went missing between 2010 and 2017. Bruce McArthur was arrested in January 2018 and pleaded guilty to eight counts of first degree murder in January 2019.
The review also investigated the mishandling of missing persons reports for Tess Richey and Alloura Wells, both found deceased in 2017.
The independent review, launched in 2018, found that investigators could have identified McArthur as a suspect years before he was arrested, but failed to do so.
It also found that marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+ people; Indigenous and racialized communities; the homeless; those who struggle with mental illness and addictions; sex workers; and migrants have been overpoliced and underserviced.
The Toronto Police Service stated that it would implement all of the recommendations in the report.
The full report is here.
The Downtown East Action Plan
In November 2017, Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam coordinated a Healthy Neighbourhoods Summit, bringing together residents, businesses, City of Toronto staff and community partners. Following feedback from the event, the Councillor led the creation of the 5-year Downtown East Action Plan.
Taking into consideration the complexities of addiction, mental health and shelter availability, the aim of the plan is to reduce harm and create welcoming public spaces for all residents.
The 5-year Downtown East Action Plan includes increasing city service and staff levels to respond to the addiction and mental health crises we are experiencing downtown. This includes improved front-line staff training for overdose prevention and mental health and new peer-to-peer and harm-reduction hires to do direct outreach with vulnerable community members.
The action plan includes increased park maintenance operations and more Parks Ambassadors to maintain order and connect vulnerable populations to services. The City has also increased laneway cleaning, including needle collection, and stepped up street sweeping operations.
A community services coordinator integrates the work of municipal and community agencies in the Downtown East to work with residents, communities and City staff. The 5-year action plan will address root causes, including the failings in housing, shelters, and social supports that have contributed to the current addictions and mental health crisis.
Challenges and Cause for Optimism
Our neighbourhood has been witness to a perfect storm of sorts. The apparent mishandling of the cases of missing and murdered men and women by police weakened trust in those whose duty it is to protect. Lack of funding to deal with the root causes of addiction, mental health issues and inadequate housing culminated in a less safe and secure experience of our streets and parks. COVID-19 has worsened the situation and complicated the response. But governments, community agencies, the police and others have taken action on multiple fronts and are working together to find solutions.