Toronto police have announced they have arrested 48 people and laid over 400 charges in response to a rise in gun crime at the beginning of this year.
The first investigation called, Project Community, was a collaboration by the 43 Division Major Crime Unit, Neighbourhood Community Office and the newly developed Bail Compliance Unit.
It resulted in the arrest of 18 people who as a whole are facing 109 charges. Six firearms were seized and three stolen vehicles were recovered during the investigation.
Building on the initial success of this project, the police division in Scarborough launched Project Springboard.
The project yielded 30 arrests, 297 charges and 18 firearms seized between April and June of this year.
“Thanks to the collaboration of our specialized units with our members at the division, we were able to disrupt and reduce gun crime in our communities,” said Acting Superintendent Ryan Forde.
Det. Sgt. Jeremy Hayes added they have seen a marked decrease in gun violence since the investigations concluded. “We’ve only experienced one firearm discharge in the month of July and only one in the month of August,” added Hayes.
Eleven of the people facing charges are youths. There were also 11 people who were already had firearm prohibition orders stemming from prior convictions and 16 people out on bail.
According to Toronto police data, so far in 2024, there has been a 45 per cent increase in the number of shooting incidents compared to the same time period in 2023 and 61 per cent increase in the number of deaths.
In 2024, 29 people have lost their life due to gun crime which is the same amount as all of 2023.
Forde added the new Bail Compliance Unit is working to hold those out on bail accountable.
“We have officers that are out every single day checking on these parties that are on bail, enforcing their house arrest, their curfew, meeting with their sureties, ensuring that they’re following the rules of the home, and we’re laying additional charges if there are breaches made.”
