In April, the Toronto Police Services Board approved increasing the number of operator position and revising shift schedules to tackle staffing shortages and cut wait times.

“The loss of life is a concern. I’m glad that we made the apprehension and we will look to see what we can do to better our response to any calls."

At around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Toronto police said a 911 call came in for an assault in progress at 103 West Lodge Ave. But a police source told Global News it wasn't until around 10 p.m. before a cruiser was even dispatched.

The rally comes after the Toronto Police Association launched a "Stop the Toronto Police Cuts" campaign last month targeting the mayor and senior police service officials.

Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack told Global News the union targeted Tory, Saunders and Pringle as leaders for the Toronto Police Service and the City of Toronto. He said the service hasn't adequately provided the appropriate level of staffing as officials work on implementing a large police modernization initiative.