Good Afternoon All,
Thank you to those of you who attended our in-person meeting with our 55 Division Police team this past Monday. It was a good meeting and provided an opportunity for you to discuss your issues and also to get a better insight into police procedures etc.
We will look at hosting these meetings on a quarterly basis so if you didn't come to this one you can attend a future one.
PC Jonathan Little, our Crime Prevention Officer, had agreed to provide some information that he felt would be beneficial to all of our members. Please read and save the attached document. Jon also included links to some key resources.
We also discussed the importance for business owners, their staff and even landlords to sign up for the City's De-Escalation training seminars. I have sent this information out to you many times but unfortunately only a few members have done the seminars. For those who have done the seminars, they have told me that it was time well spent and helpful. The City offers the level 1 seminars on multiple dates and morning and afternoon time slots. I thought there was an early evening slot but I was wrong. It will be something that I flag with the City to consider for future schedules. In the meantime, I really urge you all to sign up and to include your staff members. One of the common issues you talk about is how to deal with difficult situations - these seminars will help you with this. Here is the link to register:
- For Businesses looking for De-Escalation training, the City of Toronto is facilitating free online webinar training sessions exploring supportive communication and de-escalation skills with individuals who may be displaying agitated behaviours in your business. Note, it is required to have taken Level 1 before proceeding to Level 2.
- Register here: City of Toronto Economic Development & Culture Events - 10 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
Staff Sgt. Barnes let members know that if they are in the middle of a situation that may cause immediate harm or damage and you aren't getting through on a 911 call you can call 55 Division directly and ask for the Staff Sgt. on duty. You can explain the situation to the Staff Sgt. and they will see if they can escalate the response. The main number for 55 Division is: 416-808-5500.
You are urged to always report an incident. If it is an immediate danger you call 911; for other incidents you can do an on-line report. These reports are important so that the police know what is happening and can deal with situations.
For any one in our BIA who would like PC Little to come to your business and do a safety/security review please just let me know and I will help set that up for you. If you have some concerns just generally and you would like to speak with a neighbourhood officer please let me know that as well and I will connect you with PC Katie Stribopoulis.
For incidents of graffiti - the BIA pays a company to come and remove street facing graffiti. If you have been tagged please take a photo and email it to me and I will place the removal order. If the graffiti isn't street facing - ie. down the side of your building or at the back or if it is at the top of your building it is the landlord's responsibility to have it removed. Landlord's can contact me and I will set them up with the company that we use or they can use another company of their own choosing.
Thanks,
Susan