Police still need people to come forward with information about a deadly shooting in July, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told residents on Danzig Street during a town hall meeting Thursday night.

Blair’s visit to the east-end Toronto neighbourhood marked his first return to the area since a July 16 shooting on the street during a community barbecue, which left two dead and injured 23 others in what is considered the worst public shooting in the city’s history.

The shooting claimed the lives of Shyanne Charles, 14, and Joshua Yasay, 23, both of whom police said were innocent bystanders.

While police have made progress in their investigation into the deadly shooting, and have been aided by the public, Blair said the force “could use some more help.”

“We know how difficult it can be for some individuals to come forward and share what they know with police,” said Blair. “We know that the greatest impediment preventing people from coming forward to police is fear.”

Joining Blair Thursday evening were dozens of community police officers, who Blair said were there to assist residents and to share the responsibility of keeping the neighbourhood safe.

“These are the cops that work in your neighbourhood,” Blair said. “These are the cops I want to get you to know.”

The police chief stressed that the neighbourhood was full of good people and that it was a few young men whose violence had victimized the entire community.

“I grew up in Scarborough,” Blair said. “I know this neighbourhood. I raised my family, not two kilometres from here. I know the quality of the people who live here. I know this is a neighbourhood full of great people.”

Blair’s town hall comes two days after police announced that they had connected the Danzig Street shooting to one other homicide and six other shootings in Toronto’s east end.

All of the events could be connected to a single street gang that calls itself The Galloway Boys, police said.

Police said Tuesday that the shooting on Danzig Street began when members of a rival gang from the nearby Orton Park area showed up at the Danzig Street party.

Someone started shooting and as many as six different guns were discharged, police said.

Though police have charged two men as part of their investigation into the Danzig Street shooting, they have yet to lay murder charges.

The shooting on Danzig Street, in addition to an earlier public shooting in the Eaton Centre shopping mall on June 2, prompted police to ask staff members to work more overtime, effectively increasing the number of officers on the streets between July 26 and the September long weekend.

Blair pointed to these efforts on Thursday night, saying that police saw a decline in violence, compared to what has happened over the same period in the past.

“We have seen a dramatic and remarkable decline in the amount of violence taking place, not just here, but right across all of our communities,” Blair said.

Blair is expected to release more details on the results of the summer policing initiative at another press conference Friday morning.