Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says 911 priority response times have improved to 12.6 minutes this year from 19.6 minutes at the same time last year.
“This decrease of seven minutes represents an improvement of over 35%, which is positive news,” the chief told a press conference Tuesday.
Demkiw attributes the improvement to more officer hirings, public education on when to call 911, and the crime rate going down as it does in the colder months compared to the warmer.
“I would like to thank the mayor and the board again for approving our 2025 budget which will allow us to continue to hire police officers, among other things,” he added.
That plan, said the chief, includes hiring 720 new police officers over the next two years which “will make a huge difference on the front line and will support our efforts to reduce response times.”
Mayor Olivia Chow said she was worried about police response times when she came into office in October 2023.
“It was 26.7 minutes at its peak, that’s how long it takes for a priority call,” Chow recalled.
The mayor also pointed out that Toronto’s population has increased by 35% over the last decade and “that’s why the emergency services must grow within the city. And as the chief just said, budget 2025 makes a heavy investment for front-line officers.”
“It means police will be there faster when you need them most,” she added.
Chow said 306 new officers have already been hired.