Jewish leaders welcome plan to deploy Toronto cops in tactical gear
· Toronto Sun
Jewish leaders are welcoming a plan that would see police officers in tactical gear in key areas across Toronto after synagogues and the U.S. consulate building were hit with gunfire.
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On Tuesday, Toronto Police announced it is creating a new Counter-Terrorism Security Unit (CTSU) to help keep communities safe in response to hate-motivated incidents in the city and escalating extremism around the world.
While police said their latest patrol effort is part of a deterrence strategy, the beefed-up security presence is not in response to any immediate threat.
“At a time of heightened tensions, and in light of the firearm discharges targeting synagogues and the U.S. Consulate in Toronto and other violent, hate-motivated incidents around the world, the Toronto Police Service continues to take proactive action,” police said in a statement.
The plan will allow police to strengthen their partnerships with the RCMP, OPP, and local and international law enforcement agencies to help “identify and disrupt potential threats impacting Toronto and the GTA.”
Police also said it is launching Task Force Guardian, which will see officers patrolling key locations including critical infrastructure, high-traffic public spaces, tourist attractions, and places of worship. Those cops will be outfitted in tactical gear and armed with patrol rifles and other long guns.
News of the future presence of tactical cops out in the public comes after police banned protests and demonstrations from residential areas and ahead of Toronto hosting six FIFA World Cup games at BMO Field in June.
‘Necessary and overdue’
Leaders in the Jewish community are welcoming the plan as “necessary and overdue” after what they say were open displays of antisemitic incitement during pro-Palestinian protests and gunfire targeting several synagogues in recent weeks.
“We welcome this action as a recognition that the current situation and threat levels require a stronger response, including enhanced policing measures,” the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA) said in a joint statement .
“The current threat environment, including recent national security assessments that indicate an extremist attack against the Jewish community is a very real possibility in the coming months, underscores the urgency of this moment. This is not a theoretical risk. It is a credible and imminent danger that requires a proactive, visible, and sustained policing presence.”
Michelle Stock, the Ontario vice president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said the threat environment has changed for the city’s Jewish community and new measures need to be in place to keep everyone safe.
“The priority now is ensuring these new measures are implemented effectively — with consistent enforcement and clear consequences for those who seek to do harm — so that communities see a real difference in their safety,” Stock said in a statement.
Sara Lefton, the chief development officer at the UJA, thanked police for taking steps to address safety concerns among the city’s Jewish community.
“We have witnessed firsthand how hateful words and images directed at the Jewish community have turned into hateful acts of violence. Initiatives like this are vital for the safety and security of not just the Jewish community, but for all Canadians,” Lefton said in a statement.
Motion condemns hateful chants
City councillor James Pasternak, who represents Ward 6 York Centre, filed a motion urging fellow councillors and the mayor to condemn any and all hateful chants and the playing of hateful music at protests and rallies in the city and other initiatives to protect the Jewish community.
Pasternak said in his motion that the area of Bathurst St. and Sheppard Ave., a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood, has been the scene of weekend protests since September 2024.
“Thank you to the Toronto Police Service for taking proactive steps to strengthen public safety,” Pasternak said on social media . “Initiatives like the new Counter-Terrorism Security Unit and enhanced visibility across the city are vital in upholding the rule of law and protecting our communities. Keeping Toronto safe must always remain a top priority.”
B’nai Brith Canada’s leaders said they are supporting Pasternak’s motion after protests have targeted the Jewish community for the past two years.
Hate crimes rising
According to Toronto Police statistics, there were 443 hate crime occurrences reported in 2024, a 19% increase over the 372 occurrences reported in 2023 and 80% more than in 2022.
“How long should Toronto’s Jewish community expect to feel unsafe in their own homes, on their own streets, and in their own neighbourhoods?” the organization asked on social media .
“Antisemitism has spilled into residential areas. For over two years, Jewish Canadians have had to live with protests in front of their homes, businesses, and institutions, which frequently crossed the line into harassment, intimidation, and far worse.”