Report on Use of Lethal Force by Toronto Police to be Released
Former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Frank Iacobucci to issue Independent Report on the Toronto Police Service's encounters with People in Crisis
TORONTO, July 17, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, will present his independent Report on lethal police encounters with people in crisis to Chief of Police William Blair of the Toronto Police Service on Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 10 a.m. The presentation will take place in the media gallery of Toronto Police Service headquarters. Members of the public and media are invited to attend the release, at which Mr. Iacobucci will discuss his mandate, findings, and recommendations.
The Report, titled "Police Encounters with People in Crisis," is the product of the Independent Review of the Use of Lethal Force by the Toronto Police Service, led by Mr. Iacobucci and established by Chief Blair in August 2013 following the shooting death of Sammy Yatim in an encounter with Toronto Police.
Without diminishing the importance of public safety and the sanctity of human life, the Report analyzes ways of reducing the use of lethal force by the Toronto Police Service, with a particular focus on police interactions with people in crisis – people whose behaviour brings them into contact with the police either because of an apparent need for urgent care within the mental health system, or because they are otherwise experiencing a mental or emotional crisis requiring police assistance in order to protect the person or those around them.
The Report sets out 84 recommendations. In establishing the Independent Review in 2013, Chief Blair stated that the Report will be used as a blueprint for the Toronto Police Service in dealing with this serious and difficult issue in the future.
Mr. Iacobucci was asked to conduct an independent and objective review of the following topics:
- TPS policies, procedures and practices
- TPS training, and training at the Ontario Police College
- Equipment used by TPS
- Psychological assessments and other evaluation of TPS police officers and officer candidates
- Supervision and oversight
- The role of the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) currently employed by TPS
- The role of TPS Emergency Task Force
- Best practices and precedents from major police forces internationally (in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other jurisdictions)
- Available studies, data and research
- Other related matters.
The Hon. Frank Iacobucci will present his Report at 10 a.m. on July 24, 2014 at:
Toronto Police Service Headquarters – Media Gallery
40 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
There will be a media lock-up from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Advance copies of the Report will be distributed. David Outerbridge, Counsel to the Review, will make a presentation and be available to answer any questions.
About The Honourable Frank Iacobucci
Mr. Iacobucci, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, currently Senior Counsel at Torys LLP, was appointed on August 30, 2013 by Chief of Police William Blair of the Toronto Police Service to conduct an Independent Review of the use of lethal force by the Toronto Police Service, with a particular focus on police encounters with people in crisis. For more information about Mr. Iacobucci, please visit www.tpsreview.ca
SOURCE: Independent Review of the Use of Lethal Force by the Toronto Police Service
For more information about the review or to schedule an interview, please visit: www.tpsreview.ca or contact: David Outerbridge,Torys LLP, Phone: 416-865-7825, Email: [email protected]
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