Toronto mayoral candidate pledges 1,000 more police officers
Toronto police hiring plan boosts frontline safety on streets, transit and events See how Bradford’s pledge compares with Chow’s budget-backed staffing plan
Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford says he would hire 1,000 additional frontline police officers in his first four years if elected in October.
The pledge goes beyond Mayor Olivia Chow’s hiring plan, launched in 2025, which the city says will add about 720 officers over five years and bring in 90 more 911 operators.
Bradford said the extra officers would support safety on streets, transit, and at major events, but he did not say how much the proposal would cost. Chow defended her own plan, saying it was built with police leadership and funded through city budgets.
Toronto’s police budget for 2026 is $1.43 billion, making it one of the largest expenses on the city’s property tax bill. Recent data cited in the article shows crime rates and shootings have fallen in Toronto and across Canada in 2025.