In the wake of a corruption scandal, linking Toronto Police Services to data breaches, organized crime, drug trafficking and murder plots, TPS is set to receive a budget increase of $93.8 million dollars.

The budget committee has tied Toronto to 5 consecutive years of increased funding for the police as crime falls and corruption reins, even as everyday Torontonians struggle to make ends meet, and essential city services are shuttered and underfunded.

Toronto’s police budget is made up of a staggering 90% in salaries including officers who are suspended with pay. Tax payer funds go towards police propaganda supporting budget increases all while Torontonians struggle to house, feed and care for themselves.

The members of this committee have failed in fulfilling their fiduciary duties, and ethical responsibility towards the residents of Toronto. This lack of accountability must be addressed. Torontonians deserve answers, transparency and a liveable city for all.

• Budget request sailed through with no questions "Shelley Carroll, the new chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, said the board budget was levelled very responsibly”. Amber Morely and Lily Cheng are the City’s representatives on the Toronto Police Services Board

• Torontonians are navigating a cost of living crisis, housing crisis, extreme weather, and underfunded essential services.

• The police budget increases year after year, without meaningful contributions to public safety, rampant corruption, and lack of transparency.

• The police budget committee owes Torontonians answers re: bloated police budgets, and their lack of commitment to questioning the budget and creating a tiny air of accountability

Demands

1. We demand the members of Council who sit on the City’s Budget Committee answer for their lack of interrogation on Toronto’s Police Budget Lines. The role of Council is to ensure the budget is allocated meticulously, and answer for this failure.
   
   

2. We demand that funding be restored and prioritized in our City’s crumbling public service, instead of funding corruption

The police budget is currently more than the budget lines for all the following essential city services combined; Shelters, Recreation, Public Health, Long Term Care, Children's Services, Social Development and more.

This fall Toronto will have a municipal election. It’s time our councillors take seriously that failure to adequately fund the people in favour of bloated corrupt police budgets - will be on the ballot.