Brad Bradford pledges 1,000 more Toronto police officers if elected mayor
Bradford says Toronto needs 1,000 additional frontline officers and plans to expand training capacity through a satellite campus in Etobicoke. His campaign puts the annual cost at $143 million once fully in place.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on torontosun.com.
The Toronto Sun reported Saturday that Brad Bradford, who is running for mayor of Toronto, pledged to add 1,000 frontline police officers to the Toronto Police Service if he wins the October 26 election. Bradford made the announcement on the campaign trail.
His campaign put the annual cost of the plan at $143 million once fully in place in the fourth year of his term. That figure comes from the Bradford campaign and has not been independently verified.
The plan rests on expanding training capacity. Bradford said he would open a satellite campus of the Ontario Police College at the Toronto Police College in Etobicoke. He said Toronto recruits must currently travel to the provincial college in Aylmer to train, which he argues limits how many the city can put through at once. Adding a Toronto-based site would allow more recruits to train at the same time, according to his campaign.
Bradford argued on the trail that Toronto has added about 500,000 residents since 2010 while the number of officers has stayed at the same level. He framed that gap as the reason the hiring commitment is needed. That comparison is his campaign's argument.
Chow's safety pledge
The Toronto Sun also reported on Mayor Olivia Chow's community safety platform. Chow has pledged to re-open 54 Division in East York as a standalone police unit by 2030. That is the mayor's own commitment.
Both candidates have eight days left before voting day on October 26.
What this means for voters
A voter who wants to weigh the two candidates' positions on public safety can read Brad Bradford's profile alongside Olivia Chow's at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor. Bradford's pledge is a campaign commitment, not an approved budget item. The Toronto Police Services Board sets the service's staffing levels each year, and any expansion would require a council vote on the operating budget. The October 26 election is the voters' chance to choose which candidate's approach goes to council.
Questions this story answers
What did Brad Bradford promise about Toronto police on October 17?
The Toronto Sun reported that Bradford pledged to add 1,000 frontline police officers to the Toronto Police Service if he wins the mayoral race on October 26. He made the announcement on the campaign trail on Saturday. The pledge is a commitment from his campaign and has not been approved by City Council or the Toronto Police Services Board.
How much would Bradford's police hiring plan cost?
Bradford's campaign put the annual cost at $143 million once the plan is fully in place in the fourth year of his term. That figure comes from his own campaign. The Toronto Sun reported it on October 17, 2026. No independent body has reviewed or confirmed that estimate.
How does Bradford say he would train 1,000 new officers?
Bradford said he would open a satellite campus of the Ontario Police College at the Toronto Police College in Etobicoke. He noted that Toronto recruits must currently train at the provincial college in Aylmer, which he says limits how many can be trained at once. A Toronto campus would allow more recruits to train at the same time, according to his campaign.
What has Mayor Olivia Chow promised on public safety?
The Toronto Sun reported that Chow has pledged to re-open 54 Division in East York as a standalone police unit by 2030 as part of her community safety platform. That is Chow's own commitment. Both candidates are competing for the mayor's seat in the October 26 election.
Why does Bradford say Toronto needs more police officers?
Bradford argued that Toronto has added about 500,000 residents since 2010 while the number of police officers has stayed at the same level. He put forward that figure on the campaign trail. It is his campaign's argument; the Toronto Police Services Board sets the service's annual budget and staffing levels.
Is this already covered on voche.me?
This page tracks Brad Bradford's platform positions at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford. His earlier platform commitments, including a plan to remove Scarborough bus lanes and a youth jobs program, are also recorded in previous news briefs in the Toronto 2026 news section.
When is voting day in Toronto's 2026 municipal election?
Voting day is October 26, 2026. Advance voting ran from October 6 to 11. On voting day, voters elect the mayor, one city councillor per ward across all 25 wards, and school board trustees. Voters can find their voting place through the City of Toronto's online tool at toronto.ca.
Where can I learn more about the Toronto 2026 candidates?
Profiles of all certified candidates, including Brad Bradford and Olivia Chow, are at /on/toronto-2026/candidates. The page lists each candidate's ward or office and links to their individual profile. The Toronto 2026 news section at /on/toronto-2026/news tracks campaign developments through voting day.
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