Gun violence and home invasions are the top concerns of Torontonians when it comes to policing in the city, according to a new poll.
The survey conducted by Canada Pulse Insights on behalf of CityNews found gun violence was the top concern of 54 per cent of residents in Toronto followed by home invasions at 46 per cent and carjackings or vehicle theft at 37 per cent.
In the GTA, 47 per cent of those polled cited home invasions or robberies as their top concern, followed by vehicle thefts at 43 per cent and gun violence at 42 per cent.
In the poll focusing on policing and crime, the majority of those surveyed in both Toronto and the GTA feel their local police chiefs and frontline officers were doing a good job.
In Toronto, 62 per cent of those polled believe Chief Myron Demkiw is going a good job while 72 per cent of Toronto police officers are doing a good job.
Local police chiefs in the GTA received a 67 per cent approval rating from their residents while the front-line police officers in the GTA had three in four residents believe they are doing a good job.
Despite this, residents in both areas were concerned that if they personally needed police, their response time will be too slow with 72 per cent of Torontonians agreeing with the statement and 70 per cent in the GTA.
In the same vein, based on personal experiences, residents in Toronto said police response time was great 10 per cent of the time and good 50 per cent of the time. Another 28 per cent said the response time was bad and 12 per cent said terrible.
For the GTA, 67 per cent of those polled said response times were great or good and 33 per cent said it was bad or terrible.
The vast majority of those polled in both Toronto and the GTA felt strongly about tougher bail requirements as the federal government tabled legislation on Thursday morning that would make it harder to obtain bail for a broader range of crimes, including vehicle theft, organized crime, extortion, retail theft, and break-and-enters.
Eighty-seven per cent of those polled in Toronto and nine in 10 people found that there were too many repeating violent offenders being offered bail.
Nine in every 10 people polled also agreed that those who are arrested for a violent or menacing crime and commit another while out on bail should be put in jail until their trial concludes.
Another 77 per cent of Torontonians and 86 per cent of people in the GTA believed that youth involved in violent or menacing crimes should be tried as adults.
When asked about police resources in the city, 29 per cent felt the budget needed to be increased because they’re under-resourced to be effective for their community while 56 per cent believed the budget should stay the same, but police forces need to be more efficient and less wasteful.
For the same question, GTA residents 34 per cent believed the budget should be increased while 55 per cent said it should stay the same.
Around two-thirds of those polled in both Toronto and the GTA said they feel safe walking around their neighbourhood at night. However, 60 per cent of Torontonians and 62 per cent of those in the GTA were afraid of becoming a victim of violence on public transit.
When it comes to protests, 64 per cent of Toronto residents agree that the police have done a good job in managing them with 67 per cent of those in the GTA also agreeing.
The poll was conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6 among an even-based random selection of Canadian adults in Toronto and across the GTA. It is accurate within +/- 4.9 per cent 19 times out of 20.
