Toronto neighbourhoods suffering from gun and gang violence are getting some support from the Ontario government, the Liberal Party announced Tuesday.
The party is offering $5 million to help Toronto police battle violence in the city during the summer, when officers typically see a spike in crime.
"Our government is sending a strong and categorical message that we have zero tolerance for violence and its perpetrators," Community Safety Minister Rich Bartolucci told reporters at a Tuesday morning news conference.
The money will go towards boosting the Toronto Police Anti Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) unit with two additional units of 13 rapid-response officers.
That means troubled communities will see 26 additional TAVIS officers patrolling the streets around the clock for the next ten weeks.
Neighbourhoods that will see a higher police presence are located in the northwest part of the city and the eastern section of the downtown core.
"That's where our experience has shown us that violence has taken place in the past four years," Police Chief Bill Blair said at the news conference.
It's the third year in a row that Ontario has given financial support to the fight against street violence.
Since TAVIS was formed in 2006, officers have made over 10,000 arrests and have taken more than 400 guns off the streets.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin
