Latest news with #Demkiw
Global News
3 days ago
- Global News
‘Very active' hunt for Toronto shooting suspects underway, chief says
Toronto police are 'laser focused' on tackling gun violence after a shooting Tuesday night left one person dead and five others hurt, chef Myron Demkiw says. Demkiw, alongside Mayor Olivia Chow and Coun. Mike Colle, spoke to reporters Thursday more than 24 hours after gunshots rattled the area of Flemington Road and Zachary Court in North York. 'I do want to reassure Torontonians that we are doing everything we possibly can to advance the investigation that is very active at the moment,' he said. 'We're also committed to doing everything we can to prevent and intervene regarding violence, not just in this community but across the city, and will remain to remain laser focused in our efforts to do everything we can to tackle gun violence, particularly as the summer months are upon us.' Story continues below advertisement Around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, police were called to the area after suspects shot a group of people gathered outside. The shooting initially caused confusion as police and paramedics rushed to the scene, offering differing casualty numbers. By the time all victims had been taken to hospital, the number of people who had been shot stood at six. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In total, there were four men and one woman with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. One other man was confirmed dead by police just before 10 p.m. 2:28 1 man dead 5 others injured in Lawrence Heights shooting: Toronto police Det. Sgt. Tiffany Castell told reporters Wednesday afternoon police believe three suspects were responsible for the shooting. She said one of those injured was 17 years old, while the man who died was 31. He is the city's 13th homicide victim so far this year. The suspects are described as male, slim to average build, wearing dark clothing and with their faces covered. Police said all three were armed. Story continues below advertisement The shooting has rattled the community, and Chow, Demkiw and Colle were in the neighbourhood Thursday meeting with area residents. 'It was a difficult conversation, but critically important. There was a lot of grief, which I completely understand. Losing a loved one or watching your neighbours being gunned down is traumatizing,' Chow said. 'But what's encouraging is they maintain their hope that things can change … and they gave us some very concrete things that we can do, one of which is an accessible, safe space for young people to gather, for community to gather. Surely, we could do that.' Pastor Delroy Sherman told Global News Wednesday the shooting should be a wake-up call to tighten gun laws in the country. 'It shouldn't take months or years to change the gun laws. That's what needs to be done in our community,' he said. Demkiw also spoke about justice reform when asked Thursday. 'Frankly, it's complicated, and it's not one stream. We need reform across the system. It's not just about bail, it's also about deterrence, it's also about accountability,' he said. 'We need a proper conversation about all those issues, and take some steps to actually not only hold offenders accountable during the process of trial, but hold them accountable through the sentencing stream.' Story continues below advertisement The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police. — with files from Isaac Callan
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Toronto police arrest 10 in interconnected shooting incidents; almost 90 per cent of crime guns seized US-sourced
Toronto police made a headway in the recent cases of multiple shootings in the city arresting 10 people. Among those arrested are suspects who were allegedly involved in a pub shooting incident in which a dozen people were injured. Three of those arrested have been charged with attempted murder. The three suspects are male youths, including two 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old; the others are between the ages of 19 and 22. The indiscriminate spate of shootings at several places in Toronto seem to be interconnected, according to the police. The alleged incidents include one that occurred in March 2025 at the Piper Arms pub in Scarborough. A trio of masked men armed with an assault rifle and handguns fired several bullets leaving a dozen people injured. The shooting incident was caught on video. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Speaking at a press conference Wednesday (June 4), the Toronto police said that all the incidents of shooting involved hired gunmen in stolen cars, The Globe And Mail reported. They also fired at people in tow truck yards, a gas station and a commercial plaza, Toronto police said. Police alleged that some of the incidents are linked to tow-truck turf wars, though they have not linked the Piper Arms shooting to that industry. Live Events While addressing reporters at police headquarters, Chief Myron Demkiw said that they released the video on Wednesday of that March shooting to show the extent to which the city is facing the gun problem. He stated that gun crime 'needs to stop,' calling on the federal government to step in to help curb the violence. 'I have been in contact with the federal Minister of Public Safety, and I look forward to further discussions with him concerning public safety in Toronto,' Chief Demkiw said, according to The Globe And Mail. 203 charges laid including attempted murder, say investigators Investigators of crime have revealed that they have laid 203 charges, including 24 counts of attempted murder while recovering four firearms in link with a spate of shooting incidents in the 2025 spring season. Police said that the 10 suspects arrested are all tied to interconnected shootings. However, no explanation has been given by the police pertaining to how these suspects are related. Police Superintendent Paul MacIntyre of the city's organized crime enforcement unit claimed that the alleged perpetrators behind the shooting incidents are 'a bunch of guys that are not a gang,'. He dubbed them hired gunmen. 'They're just friends, if you will. They're associates,' he said. Chief Demkiw on Wednesday (June 4) also answered questions about an unrelated shooting in Lawrence Heights this week, where a 31-year-old man in a wheelchair lost his life, while five others were also left injured in what police said was a targeted attack. The suspects in this incident remain at large. What do Toronto's crime statistics say Crime statistics from Toronto police revealed that 2024 was a near-record year for incidents of shooting in the city. According to The Globe And Mail, police stated that 80 to 90 per cent of the crime guns seized in Toronto are now U.S.-sourced, up from roughly 50 per cent a decade ago.
Toronto Sun
15-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Crime stats down across board so far in 2025, Toronto chief tells police board
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw speaks to media in Toronto on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Photo by Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says crime statistics are down across the board. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Speaking to the Toronto Police Service Board on Wednesday, Demkiw said auto thefts have decreased so far this year by nearly 39%, home invasions by 42% with 33 fewer incidents, homicides by 67% (11 compared to 33 at this time last year) and shootings by 46% for a total of 85, which is 73 fewer than at this time last year. Demkiw also said nearly 323 arrests have been made related to firearms. Meanwhile, Toronto Police chief Supt. Mandeep Mann said police response times have also decreased. Mann said at this time last year, police had a priority 1 average response time of 18.1 minutes, but it has been consistently holding at about 13 minutes or lower for the first four months of the year. HATE CRIMES JUMPED AGAIN IN 2024 The 2024 Toronto Police Annual Hate Crime Report, however, said reported hated crimes increased by 19% last year for a total of 443 compared to 372 in 2023. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Still, this marks a slower rate of increase than the 46% jump police reported between 2022 and 2023 — a total of 246 in 2022 and then 372 in 2023. The report also showed an 84% increase in the number of individuals charged with hate-motivated offences compared to the year before. In total, 115 people were charged in 2024, up from 63 in 2023. So far in 2025, there has been a 47% decrease in reported hate crimes compared to the same time last year. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Also of note, 209 hate-motivated criminal charges were laid in 2024 — a 34% increase from the 156 charges laid in 2023. Public streets and transit were the most common locations for reported hate crimes with an 88% increase in incidents on public transit compared to the year before. Religion was the leading motivating factor in 2024 followed by sexual orientation and race/ethnicity, while the most frequently targeted communities were Jewish, 2SLGBTQ+, Black and Muslim people. The report also identified a notable increase in hate crimes targeting the South Asian community, rising from 14 in 2023 to 41 in 2024. The data is based on hate crimes reported to Toronto Police between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Relationships Columnists Olympics
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Crime stats down across board so far in 2025, Toronto chief tells police board
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says crime statistics are down across the board. Speaking to the Toronto Police Service Board on Wednesday, Demkiw said auto thefts have decreased so far this year by nearly 39%, home invasions by 42% with 33 fewer incidents, homicides by 67% (11 compared to 33 at this time last year) and shootings by 46% for a total of 85, which is 73 fewer than at this time last year. Demkiw also said nearly 323 arrests have been made related to firearms. Meanwhile, Toronto Police chief Supt. Mandeep Mann said police response times have also decreased. Mann said at this time last year, police had a priority 1 average response time of 18.1 minutes, but it has been consistently holding at about 13 minutes or lower for the first four months of the year. The 2024 Toronto Police Annual Hate Crime Report, however, said reported hated crimes increased by 19% last year for a total of 443 compared to 372 in 2023. Still, this marks a slower rate of increase than the 46% jump police reported between 2022 and 2023 — a total of 246 in 2022 and then 372 in 2023. The report also showed an 84% increase in the number of individuals charged with hate-motivated offences compared to the year before. In total, 115 people were charged in 2024, up from 63 in 2023. So far in 2025, there has been a 47% decrease in reported hate crimes compared to the same time last year. Also of note, 209 hate-motivated criminal charges were laid in 2024 — a 34% increase from the 156 charges laid in 2023. Public streets and transit were the most common locations for reported hate crimes with an 88% increase in incidents on public transit compared to the year before. Religion was the leading motivating factor in 2024 followed by sexual orientation and race/ethnicity, while the most frequently targeted communities were Jewish, 2SLGBTQ+, Black and Muslim people. The report also identified a notable increase in hate crimes targeting the South Asian community, rising from 14 in 2023 to 41 in 2024. The data is based on hate crimes reported to Toronto Police between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. Three teen boys busted for violent Midtown Toronto robberies Toronto man, 36, wanted after cops probe east-end assault
CBC
04-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Toronto police spent $19.5M on response to Israel-Gaza war protests last year: report
Toronto police spent $19.5 million in 2024 on policing demonstrations and "proactive engagement" with Jewish and Muslim communities amid the Israel-Gaza war, according to a new report. The report, written by Chief Myron Demkiw, says officers responded to over 2,000 unplanned events last year — more than half of which were related to Project Resolute, the service's term for policing protests and increasing their presence among targeted communities after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the resulting war in Gaza. A spokesperson for Toronto police said officers have conducted more than 60,000 community visits since October 7, 2023 but would not provide specific examples. Eighty-seven per cent of these visits were to places of worship, followed by day schools at 12 per cent, and attendance at "festivals, events, and other places of significance," Stephanie Sayer said in an email on Friday. "This heightened visibility and presence in communities across the city aims to enhance community safety and provide residents with a greater sense of security," she said In Demkiw's report, which will be presented at a Toronto police board meeting on April 10, he wrote the nearly $20 million figure includes $8 million in premium pay costs. These costs happen when officers work beyond their shift or are required to work additional shifts. Demkiw this reliance on premium pay happened because less officers were available to respond to unplanned events, due to redeployment of officers to other units and changes in the police scheduling model, Police had also "dedicated substantial on-duty resources to [Project Resolute], resulting in premium pay expenses in units experiencing cascading impacts due to staffing shortages from this reallocation," Demkiw wrote. Hate crimes spiked in Toronto last year In June, police said reports of hate incidents had spiked 64 per cent in Toronto since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. More than half of the reported hate crimes targeted Jewish people, police said at the time. This was followed by, in order, incidents against the 2SLGBTQ+, Black and Muslim communities. Police also expressed concern that Islamophobic incidents are being significantly underreported. Many of the hate crimes have involved graffiti, threats and assaults — often at synagogues and mosques — but include a Jewish girls school that was shot at three times in 2024 and suspected arson at a Jewish-owned deli. After the Oct. 7. attack, police said they immediately increased patrols in Jewish communities in the city, as well as cultural centres, synagogues, mosques, schools and other places of worship. They also established a command centre in a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood and made regular check-ins with synagogues and mosques in the city, police said in June. But Toronto police have been criticized for their policing after the war broke out, with pro-Palestinian demonstrators accusing officers of police brutality after several people were arrested at a protest in March 2024. In response, deputy chief Lauren Pogue said demonstrators had become increasingly aggressive. "We respect the right to assembly and to expression, but it's crucial to understand these rights are not limitless," she said at the time. "I'm also here to tell people that if they're going to break the law, they're going to assault our police officers or assault our police forces, there will be consequences, and they will be arrested." WATCH | Pro-Palestinian protestors have accused Toronto police of police brutality: Video shows officer kneeling on man at pro-Palestinian protest 4 months ago Duration 0:21 WARNING: This video contains graphic footage. Video shared with CBC Toronto appears to show an officer holding down a protester lying face down on the ground, while another officer places a knee on his neck. The man, Adam Melanson, was arrested and charged with assault at a pro-Palestinian protest last December. On Tuesday, Melanson and his lawyer said the charges against him had been withdrawn. Last December, demonstrators released a video appearing to show a Toronto police officer kneeling on a man's neck during a pro-Palestinian protest, though police said the tactic was not used. Activists also criticized the police response after an Indigo store on Bay and Bloor streets was vandalized by pro-Palestinian protestors in November 2023. The chain has been the target of a national boycott campaign, which protestors say is due to Indigo CEO Heather Reisman's patronage of a charity that gives scholarships to Israeli Defence Forces veterans. While Jewish groups called the vandalism an antisemitic attack — because Reisman is Jewish — activists said that police took excessive steps while arresting the protestors, such as raiding homes in the middle of the night and ransacking their apartments. Police have said officers conducted "judicially authorized" search warrants as part of their investigation. Charges have since been dropped for seven of the 11 people who were initially charged in the vandalism.
