New feature on Toronto Police Service website, Calls For Service Portal

New feature on Toronto Police Service website, Calls For Service Portal

Thursday, March 3, 2016 - 1:16 PM
Corporate Communications:  416-808-7100

In an effort to better inform the public, the Service is expanding access to police data.

The newest addition, released today, the Calls For Service portal, allows the public to see where police have responded.

The map, updated every few minutes, shows the approximate location (nearest streets or intersections), event type (such as a hazard or robbery), and the time officers were on scene. The map will not disclose events such as medical calls, sexual assaults, suicides or domestic disputes, to protect the privacy of those involved.

Chief Mark Saunders said the portal will help engage the public. “This another way to help inform the media and public of the work that we do. We are trying to achieve a balance between informing the community of public safety issues and protecting privacy."

Media Relations Officers supplement the information through the @TPSOperations Twitter account and are available, as a resource for the media, from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. every day.

TPS Community Safety Command Deputy Chief Mike Federico said the public plays a key role in the safety of Toronto. “An informed public can help the police prevent and solve crime,” Federico said, noting that police officers always rely on the trust and cooperation of the public to do their work.

The public can also access the Maps & Data web portal that provides a weekly snapshot of crimes throughout the city, which has been available since Fall 2015.

Please download the Toronto Police Service Mobile App for iOS or Android.

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

Kevin Masterman, Corporate Communications