Toronto police need to build trust with the public and bridge the gap between officers and senior command, found a new report by the Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB).
The report is the result of conversations with over 1,200 officers, staff and civilians through consultations and surveys, to gain insight on their concerns and perceptions of the Toronto Police Service (TPS).
There was one stand-out message among all the feedback, per the report, which is that "trust must be rebuilt" within the TPS and with the public, especially with those in marginalized and minority community groups.
"This process was rooted in one shared goal: to listen honestly, act transparently, and build a police service that reflects the communities it serves," reads the What We Heard: Insights Informing the Strategic Plan for Policing in Toronto report.
"Rebuilding trust will take time and consistency. ... This report is both an acknowledgement and a promise that the Board has heard and will act."
The focus of the report was "real conversations" with people to inform a process that typically does not seek accountability or seek public feedback, said TPSB chair and Coun. Shelley Carroll.
She said the report will be used to inform the TPSB's strategic plan -- a policy used by the board and police chief to decide how daily operations are decided -- which is expected to come out in the spring.
Carroll said the plan will go further than previous board plans, by setting a bar of standards to measure the impact and decisions made by police.
"We've made it very public, because we want the public to know what we heard. So that they know we're committed to change, we can't turn away from it now," she said.
Despite the board's promises of transparency and change, some advocates say the report's findings are not new and promises don't go far enough to make a real difference.
A lack of trust in the police means some communities are afraid to report crimes or issues, said John Sewell, coordinator of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC).
"This is not new information," Sewell said.
"This is what people are always saying, 'We don't trust the police. We want them to change,'" he said, adding the city should withhold budget increases until the police service and its board take action.
The coalition has shared presentations with officials in the past to address community concerns with policing, Sewell said, but they weren't taken seriously enough to address issues.
"We've made lots of really simple suggestions in the past that they've just laughed at," he said.
When asked about TPAC's concerns about a lack of accountability for public concerns, Coun. Carroll said a lot has changed at the board and TPS since the "coalition was most active."
Carroll said that, with the report, there is now a stronger focus on improving accountability, transparency in data and meaningful public engagement.
"We're focused on partnerships that drive real progress -- not revisiting debates from ten years ago," she said.
The public report was released Thursday as part of the TPSB's agenda and will be addressed in next week's board meeting.
The report highlights a desire from the public for openness and genuine community partnership that go beyond "symbolic gestures." Officers reported a feeling of "disconnect from leadership" and concerns with "toxic workplace dynamics," said the report.
Those concerns have been voiced by police for "many years," said Clayton Campbell, president of the Toronto Police Association, the union representing over 8,000 police employees.
He said solutions to some problems could be as simple as having leaders visit divisions and speak face-to-face with officers, something the union has been doing for years.
"Get out to those units and speak directly to the men and women that you lead and hear directly from them in more of an unvarnished and unfiltered way. That's key professional standards," Campbell said.
He also said he's happy with the work being done by the police board to push for accountability.
"I'm optimistic there's going to be some potential for change," Campbell said. "There's going to be much more pressure to get this change done, and we're going to be vocal about it."
Carroll said police Chief Myron Demkiw saw the report days before it was publicly released and made the "bold step" to release a joint video statement with her to every TPS member.
"The chief was saying, 'I hear you loud and clear. I've experienced some of these things myself ... It's high time that we did work on these things and change them,'" she said.
Carroll said her goal is to one day remove the barrier and fear associated with police for every community member in Toronto.
In an emailed statement, Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan said the service is "listening, learning and taking action" based on the insights from the report.
Ramadan said several actions are already being taken, including expanding the neighbourhood community officer program, a multi-year hiring plan and improving dispatcher response time.
"Policing in Toronto is complex. That's why hearing from our communities, members, and partners is key to ... reflect lived experience and diverse perspectives," said Demkiw in an emailed statement, noting his first priority as chief was to improve trust in, and within, police.
"Our members continue to navigate considerable pressures -- from large-scale events to complex calls for service -- and I'm proud of their commitment to keeping Toronto safe."