Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

experience of mental illness, for the efforts they have made to achieve progress in this
area. Collectively, they have not assumed that the status quo is as good as it is going to
get, and is therefore good enough.
28. It should be noted that Chief Blair and the TPS did not have to call for an
independent review. The effect of calling such a review is to take some degree of control
away from the TPS over change within the organization. Not only did the TPS do that,
but it also agreed in advance that the report and recommendations emanating from the
Review were to be made public, without knowing what those results or
recommendations would be.
29. For those killed and for their families, nothing can take away their loss. For
people in crisis who have had negative experiences with police, self-evaluation by the
police and the larger mental health field is meaningful if there is a real change.
30. Recognizing the TPS for taking this initiative is important, but the real work
remains to be done, and the true test of the TPS and those organizations with which the
TPS interacts will be what changes they make and the approach they take to the task.
What they do in this area is fundamentally important to reinforcing public trust and
confidence in the Toronto Police Service.
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