Oversight failures beset police vulnerable persons registry: Toronto ombudsman

Toronto’s ombudsman says a police registry intended to help officers support people with different needs and conditions has been beset by communication failures and poor management.

Kwame Addo says no one within the police service has taken responsibility for the vulnerable persons registry launched in 2019 – and even the unit that was supposed to oversee it denied being in charge.

The voluntary registry allows people to file personalized de-escalation strategies with police to help officers support those with emotional, psychological, medical and other physical conditions in the event of an emergency.

In the ombudsman’s first investigation into Toronto police, Addo says he found no one is promoting the registry and only 305 people have their information currently entered.

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He says no one in the police service provides a central point of contact for registrants, reviews how communication could be improved, or ensures staff are doing their jobs.

Toronto police say they will work to implement all the ombudsman’s recommendations, even though the force plans to eventually turn over operation of the registry to a third party.