Toronto Chief of Police Myron Demkiw said on Tuesday that law enforcement will be boosted during the High Holidays and through the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel.
Toronto’s Jewish communities have seen a spike in antisemitic violence in recent months, including shootings directed at synagogues. Police have made 573 arrests since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Demkiw.
“I want the community to know that the Toronto Police will have an increased presence, both visible and covert,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday. “We will have police officers embedded with the Jewish security network over the coming weeks.”
Demkiw mentioned specific strategic command posts, including one at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue, where anti-Israel protesters frequently gather.
“If you engage in criminal behavior, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will lay charges against you,” he said.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who is up for re-election in October, said during the same press conference that “everyone gathering for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur deserves to do so without worry.”
She added that in theory, the Jewish community shouldn’t have to need extra security, but that at this time in certain parts of the country, “they do.”
Chow called anti-Jewish targeting “despicable,” adding that officers have been added to the hate-crimes unit.
