Brad Bradford police officers plan would add 1,000 front-line officers during his first term as Toronto mayor
TORONTO — Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford is promising to hire 1,000 net new front-line police officers during his first term if elected.
Bradford announced the proposal outside Toronto Police Headquarters on Thursday, July 23, presenting it as part of a broader community-safety plan.
“A city that is not safe is not free,” Bradford said. “Toronto has grown by 21 per cent since 2010, with virtually the same number of officers on our streets.”
The proposed officers would be assigned to patrol duties in Toronto neighbourhoods and at subway stations, according to Bradford’s campaign.
Proposal would exceed existing police hiring plan
Bradford’s campaign says its commitment would exceed the Toronto Police Service’s current multiyear hiring plan, which it described as projecting a net increase of 250 officers between the end of 2026 and 2029.
“The current plan is not catching up. It is falling behind more slowly,” Bradford said. “These will be officers on patrol, in your neighbourhood, at your subway station. Not administrators, and not another layer of management.”
The campaign did not provide an estimated cost for hiring and maintaining the proposed 1,000 officers or explain how the plan would be funded through the municipal budget.
Any substantial change to Toronto Police Service staffing and funding would require consideration through the city’s budget and police-governance processes.
Additional community-safety proposals
Bradford’s wider plan also calls for visible policing at every Toronto subway station and targeted enforcement involving repeat violent offenders.
He has also committed to serving personally on the Toronto Police Services Board if elected mayor and continuing to advocate for changes to Canada’s bail system.
Statistics cited by the campaign indicate that Toronto had 5,556 police officers in 2010, compared with a projected 5,685 officers by the end of 2026. Those figures were attributed to a City of Toronto budget document prepared for the Toronto Police Service.
The campaign also compared Toronto’s officer-to-population ratio with figures from several Canadian and international cities. Differences in municipal boundaries, policing responsibilities and reporting methods can make direct comparisons between jurisdictions difficult.
Bradford’s announcement represents a campaign commitment and has not been adopted as City of Toronto policy.
Source: Bradford for Mayor campaign; City of Toronto budget documents
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