The increased presence of police officers in an east-downtown neighbourhood has sparked anger among residents who say the initiative will only lead to more "distrust" of the police.

Residents against a summer-long police sweep in the area between Wellesley and Queen streets east, and Church and Parliament streets, held a demonstration on Monday to protest the introduction of the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) in their neighbourhood.

The program, which has been implemented in other Toronto communities, started Monday, and will wrap up on Sept. 8. The five-year-old program aims to reduce crime and increase safety in areas that are "experiencing an increase in violent activity," TAVIS’ website explains.

Monday’s rally was held at the corner of Sherbourne Street and Dundas Street East, an area demonstrators say is already "over-policed," according to a statement sent on behalf of anti-TAVIS protestors.

"An extended police presence will cause nothing but fear, resentment, distrust of the police," protestor Frank Coburn told CTV Toronto on Monday. "It will (also) make a lot of the drug (users) – which there are a lot of here and which we are not ashamed of – go underground, where people will become more and more vulnerable."

He added that sex workers will also have to "run and hide and become more vulnerable to predators."

But according to police, the aim of the program is to help revitalize participating neighbourhoods.

"We're trying to bring some quality of life back to the community," Staff Sgt. Dan Crosby told CTV Toronto.

Police also say that other Toronto communities who have participated in the TAVIS program have seen a drop in crime rates. They point to the area near Kennedy Road and Eglinton Avenue East, where residents say there has been a reduction in crime.

"It was rougher before. They had shootings and all sorts of things like that," one resident told CTV Toronto. "Now it’s okay."

Meanwhile, back in the area near Sherbourne Street and Dundas Street East, some residents say they are in favour of TAVIS.

"I think it's great but we need it more than just the summer," a local woman told CTV Toronto. "We need it all year."

In a statement to CTV Toronto, police say the success of TAVIS is not based on the number of arrests made, but on the reduction of crime and the enhancement of public trust.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Ashley Rowe.