SafeTO: Community Conversations on Community Violence: Central District

The City of Toronto is currently developing an updated Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan called SafeTO. This plan will guide how social systems that serve Torontonians such as community services, healthcare systems, justice systems and police work together to meet community needs by changing how we think about safety.

Most importantly, this plan seeks to inspire a culture of prevention.The City of Toronto recognizes Community Violence as a Public Health Issue. In response, Safe TO has identified community violence, specifically gun violence as one of the four priority areas requiring prevention and intervention planning.

This conversation will build on existing community mobilization by hosting collaborative discussions on Zoom co-chaired by local community champions and City staff to discuss the following:

1. Violence Response and Recovery: Identify how to enhance current responses/collaboration to support those most impacted by gun violence

2. Violence Intervention/Interruption: Identifying how neighbourhoods are intervening to reduce risk factors related to violence and interrupting violence before it occurs

3. Violence Prevention: Identifying and prioritizing the most effective violence prevention strategies

4. Governance: Identifying community leadership and the role of the City/other levels of governments

In your registration form, please indicate which topic above you would like to provide input on. Participants will be placed in breakout rooms based on their preferred topic.

Lastly, we acknowledge these conversations can be difficult for community members given the current climate of gun violence in Toronto. There will be healing and mental health supports available to all participants. Participation is entirely voluntary. All information and data will be confidential, and participants individuals will not be named in any way.