Toronto police responding to 911 calls 7 minutes faster than a year ago, police chief says

Toronto police are responding faster to 911 calls now than they were a year ago in part because the service has hired more officers, according to the police chief.

The average response time a year ago was 19.6 minutes but that's now dropped to 12.6 minutes, police chief Myron Demkiw told a news conference at police headquarters on Tuesday. That means police officers are responding seven minutes faster in 2025 than they were in 2024, he said.

"We have seen improvements over the past several months," Demkiw said, adding a combination of factors may have contributed to the reduction.

"Hiring is one, but trendlines on crime also are impacted by a multitude of things, which includes us getting there quickly, us gathering the evidence we need to gather quickly, and then being able to apprehend and hold those responsible accountable."

Demkiw said the weather and a drop in many different types of crime in the first two months of 2025, compared to the first two months of 2024, may have played roles in improving 911 times. The number of robberies, auto thefts, break-ins, shootings, incidents of intimate partner violence and hate crime have dropped, although the number of carjackings has risen, he said.

He said the drop in crime and an improvement in response times are "interconnected" trends.

The service's multi-year hiring plan includes the projected hiring of 720 new police officers over the next two years, Demkiw added, saying the number will make a "huge difference on the front line" and will support "our efforts to reduce response times." The service said it is hiring four classes of 90 over the next two years.

WATCH: CBC's Lane Harrison reports on improvements in 911 response times:

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who also spoke at the news conference, said response times reached a peak of 26.7 minutes in October 2023, after she was sworn in as mayor. She said that response time was "worrisome" to her as a mayor.

"Everyone deserves to be safe," Chow said.

"When you face an emergency, you need to know that someone will be there to help you out and fast. Where there's a fire, ambulance, or you're facing a dangerous situation, Toronto's police officers, firefighters, paramedics and community crisis service are there to help."

Chow noted that 911 calls will increase as the weather gets warmer, but said the response times are moving in the right direction.

"That trend line is great because we are seeing the response time decreasing. They are arriving faster," she said.

Chow added that the population of Toronto has grown by 35 per cent and emergency services must grow with the city.

Coun. Shelley Carroll, who is chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, said there is no question that an improvement in response times is good news.

"For Torontonians, it means a safer city. And we heard loud and clear, people want to feel safe," Carroll said.

In February, Toronto city council approved an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion for the police in 2025, an amount that includes a $46.2 million increase from the police's 2024 budget.