Advertisement

Oversight failures beset police vulnerable persons registry: Toronto ombudsman

Click to play video: 'Toronto’s ombudsman calls out gaps in Vulnerable Person’s Registry'
Toronto’s ombudsman calls out gaps in Vulnerable Person’s Registry
WATCH: Toronto's ombudsman calls out gaps in Vulnerable Person's Registry – Sep 5, 2024

Toronto’s ombudsman says a police registry intended to help officers support people with different needs and conditions has been beset by communication failures and poor management.

Kwame Addo says no one within the police service has taken responsibility for the vulnerable persons registry launched in 2019 – and even the unit that was supposed to oversee it denied being in charge.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The voluntary registry allows people to file personalized de-escalation strategies with police to help officers support those with emotional, psychological, medical and other physical conditions in the event of an emergency.

In the ombudsman’s first investigation into Toronto police, Addo says he found no one is promoting the registry and only 305 people have their information currently entered.

He says no one in the police service provides a central point of contact for registrants, reviews how communication could be improved, or ensures staff are doing their jobs.

Story continues below advertisement

Toronto police say they will work to implement all the ombudsman’s recommendations, even though the force plans to eventually turn over operation of the registry to a third party.

Sponsored content

AdChoices