Toronto police stop taking new community safety hub requests
Chief Myron Demkiw has frozen new applications for community safety hubs while the force develops metrics to measure whether the four existing locations are working.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on cbc.ca.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw froze new applications for community safety hubs on November 12, CBC reported, after a large volume of locations applied to host one. The four existing hubs remain open.
What the hubs are
Community safety hubs are staffed locations inside shopping centres and community spaces where residents can talk to officers in a non-enforcement setting. Toronto Police run four: Fairview Mall in North York, Lawrence Heights, Shops at Don Mills and Dufferin Mall in Parkdale-High Park. The Dufferin Mall hub opened in September 2026 and is the most recent.
The hubs focus on crime prevention through officer visibility and are designed so people can approach police without making a formal call. The Toronto Police Association told CBC that the approach is made possible by the hiring of 627 net new officers during Mayor Olivia Chow's first three years in office.
Why applications are paused
Demkiw said his team received many requests from locations wanting to host a hub. CBC reported his words on November 12: "We have many requests coming in. I've asked the team to pause so we can figure out some evaluation metrics to ensure that we're having the outcomes we expect before we start rolling out broadly."
No date has been given for when the application process will reopen. The pause does not affect the four operating hubs.
One hub still planned
A new police sub-station at Union Station is still going ahead, funded by Metrolinx, according to CBC's report. That location will also host addiction and mental health support services alongside officers.
A critic's concern
Human rights advocate Selwyn Pieters raised concerns about where hubs are placed. CBC reported that Pieters cited 2022 data on disproportionate use of force against Black and Indigenous people during police interactions in public spaces, and cautioned that the same patterns could emerge in mall and transit settings.
Residents who want to know about policing in their area can find their local Toronto Police division on the service's website, or follow the promise tracker for the mayor and councillors for decisions on policing through the new council term, which starts November 15.
Questions this story answers
What are Toronto's community safety hubs?
Community safety hubs are non-enforcement settings inside shopping malls and community spaces where Toronto residents can speak with police officers about crime prevention and neighbourhood concerns. They are designed so people can approach officers without calling police directly. Toronto Police run four hubs: at Fairview Mall in North York, Lawrence Heights, Shops at Don Mills and Dufferin Mall in Parkdale-High Park, the last of which opened in September 2026.
Why did Toronto Police Chief Demkiw pause new hub applications?
CBC reported on November 12 that Chief Myron Demkiw froze new hub applications after a large volume of requests came in from locations wanting to host one. Demkiw said he asked his team to pause so they could develop evaluation metrics: 'to ensure that we're having the outcomes we expect before we start rolling out broadly.' No new applications will be accepted until those metrics are in place.
Are the existing four community safety hubs still open?
Yes. The pause applies only to new applications. The four existing hubs at Fairview Mall, Lawrence Heights, Shops at Don Mills and Dufferin Mall continue to operate as normal. CBC reported on November 12 that the planned new sub-station at Union Station, funded by Metrolinx, is also still going ahead and will host addiction and mental health services alongside police staff.
What criticism was raised about the community safety hubs?
Human rights advocate Selwyn Pieters cautioned that the location of hubs matters, citing 2022 data showing disproportionate use of force against Black and Indigenous people during police interactions in public spaces. Pieters raised concerns about proactive policing inside shopping malls and transit hubs, according to CBC's November 12 report.
How does the hub expansion connect to Mayor Chow's policing direction?
The Toronto Police Association credited Mayor Olivia Chow's first three years in office with the hiring of 627 net new officers, as reported by CBC on November 12. The association said those additional officers make it possible to staff non-enforcement settings like the safety hubs without reducing patrol coverage elsewhere. The city projects 809 more officers by 2029.
Who can I contact if I want a community safety hub in my area?
New hub applications are currently paused by Chief Demkiw. Toronto Police have not published a date for when applications will reopen. For general policing inquiries, contact your local Toronto Police division. The existing hubs can be found through the Toronto Police Service website. Mayor Chow's office can be reached through the City of Toronto's main contact page.
What is Olivia Chow's position on the community safety hubs?
CBC's November 12 report does not carry a statement from Mayor Olivia Chow on the hub pause or on the hub program itself. The Toronto Police Association linked the hub expansion to increased officer hiring during her tenure. For the mayor's current positions on policing, see her tracker page at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow.
When was the most recent community safety hub opened in Toronto?
Dufferin Mall in the Parkdale-High Park area opened the most recent hub in September 2026, according to CBC's November 12 report. That was the fourth hub to open. No date has been given for when the next hub application period will begin.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
