Toronto police ending overtime deployments on city transit system

Toronto police say they are ending extra patrols on city transit that were introduced in late January after several high-profile cases of violence in the system.

The boost in police presence on the Toronto Transit Commission was filled by officers working overtime shifts.

The force says those overtime shifts will now end and it will return to deploying on-duty officers on the TTC for regular proactive patrols.

It says the overtime shifts on the TTC could resume in the future if needed.

Police say the increased police presence since late January resulted in 314 arrests and officers giving more than 220 referrals to people in need of social supports like shelter, food and mental health services.

City manager Paul Johnson had said at a February budget meeting that police would not be able to afford the overtime patrols -- which cost about $1.5 million per month -- past the end of winter unless additional funding was considered.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.