The final numbers for Project Community Space, the 15-week $4.5 million endeavour in response to gun violence in Toronto this summer, are out and despite hundreds of arrests, total shootings also increased during its time.
The mission that was supposed to go until the end of October, but was extended four weeks later, included 463 arrests and 1,145 charges laid.
97 of those arrests also included people who were out on bail for firearm-related charges.
Superintendent Steve Watts of the Organized Crime Enforcement said 247 guns were also seized, while also acknowledging response to upticks in violence is only part of the solution.
"Absolutely the shootings increased so we had to adapt to that," he said. "It's always encouraging when someone gets shot, I don't care if it's one shooting a month of it's 50."
"What is encouraging, of the occurrences where people were shot, we solved a very high percentage of these occurrences and that is something that has not happened before."
Defense lawyer and community advocate Knia Singh said the next time millions more dollars becomes available, it should go to community and social programs instead of simply police.
Multiple programs aimed at-risk communities approved by the city aren't fully funded, such as dedicated youth spaces and other community centres.
"When that $4.5 million could've gone to the community and you could almost be guaranteed shootings would go down because people would be employed, they would be occupied," he said. "A lot of young people are coming to me now, they just keep saying, I need a job, can you help me find a job?"
"But at the same time, when they're ending up in the court system, they're coming back from court with beef from other areas from different areas who they see them at court and it's all this revolving cycle," he said.
For more on shootings and guns data, click here.
Project Community Space by the numbers:
- 463 arrests and 1,145 charges laid
- 28% (317) of charges were firearms-related
- nearly 20% (212) of charges were for breach of bail conditions or Failure to Comply
- in addition to the firearm related offences, 11% (121) were for other violent offences.
Firearm-bails:
- 97 people who were out on bail for firearm-related charges were arrested
- 16 of the 97 (16%) were charged with a new firearm-related offence, 12 of the 16 were kept in custody
- 81 of the 97 were charged with other offences, many including violent offences including robbery, assault with a weapon, sexual assault and drug crimes.
Bail compliance checks:
- 2,392 bail compliance checks were conducted
- 88 offenders were found to be non-compliant
- 46 of those offenders were arrested
- 36 of those offenders are wanted on warrants
Gun seizures:
- approximately 247 firearms to date were seized, service-wide, removing the guns from circulation and potentially criminal activity.
Community referrals:
- Officers worked with communities and made 89 referrals to people seeking assistance, including to the Gang Exit Program, Youth Diversion Program, and Focus Tables.
Gang Prevention Town Halls:
- the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force hosted 17 gang prevention town halls. The remaining 14 sessions will be held in December and 2020.