Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw says his force has been directed to “ensure a high-visibility presence of officers across the city” following community safety concerns due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Demkiw made the comments at a press conference on Thursday. He said all officers have been advised since the past weekend to have their uniforms ready and be available for deployment.
“People can expect to see a continued increase in police presence for the foreseeable future,” Demkiw said.
“The war is affecting thousands of Toronto residents who have family and friends in those regions,” he continued. “This war has shaken the feelings of peace and security here at home.”
However, Demkiw told reporters there are “no specific credible threats in the City of Toronto in this regard.”
He acknowledged the multiple social media posts online about threats and said the force is increasing police presence to ensure the community feels safe.
“This is precisely the kind of thing that impacts the sense of safety and security among our residents and our communities have been very, very clear that they are concerned for their feelings of safety and their sense of safety,” Demkiw said.
Over the weekend, Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza. The death toll from that and from retaliatory Israeli airstrike continues to rise, with more than 2,200 dead on both sides.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by declaring war on Hamas and promising swift retaliation, including air strikes across the Gaza Strip. The country said a “complete siege” of the area had begun, including cutting off electricity, food and fuel supplies.
Meanwhile, Demkiw said he has met with leaders from both the Jewish and Palestinian communities about how law enforcement can help.
“We would like them to feel comfortable to go and express themselves and go to synagogues and go to mosques and go to businesses and attend in their community and we’d like them to do so feeling safe and that’s precisely why we’re deploying the way we are,” Demkiw said.
Two command posts have been set up for visibility, for officers to be seen on the ground and be easily reached. The command posts are set up at Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue and at Bathurst Street and Glencairn Avenue.
Both locations will have officers staffed during hours “when the community is out and about,” Demkiw said.
— with files from The Canadian Press
Comments