Office of the Solicitor General
25 Grosvenor Street
18th Floor Toronto ON M7A 1Y6
Tel: 416 325-0408
MCSCS.Feedback@Ontario.ca
Bureau du solliciteur général
25, rue Grosvenor
18e étage Toronto ON M7A 1Y6
Tél. : 416 325-0408
MCSCS.Feedback@Ontario.ca
132-2020-5553 By email
December 24, 2020
Dear Head of Council/Chief Administrative Officer/Municipal Clerk:
As you know, on January 1, 2019, amendments to the Police Services Act (PSA) came into force which mandate every municipality in Ontario to prepare and adopt a community safety and well-being (CSWB) plan, working in partnership with police services/boards and various other sectors, including health/mental health, education, community/social services, and children/youth services. As previously communicated, municipalities originally had two years from the in-force date to prepare and adopt their first CSWB plan (i.e., by January 1, 2021).
The government recognizes that the pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for communities across Ontario. Over the past several months, we have heard from municipal partners that resources have been redirected to the pandemic response and, as a result, some have experienced delays in their CSWB planning and engagement processes.
In an effort to support municipal, policing and community partners during the emergency, on April 14, 2020, the government passed the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support and Protection Act, 2020, which amended the PSA to allow the Solicitor General to prescribe a new deadline for the completion and adoption of CSWB plans post January 1, 2021. This amendment came into force immediately upon Royal Assent.
I would like to inform you that the new deadline for municipalities to prepare and adopt a CSWB plan is now July 1, 2021. This extension provides municipalities with an additional six months to complete their plans.
This change will ensure municipalities, police services and local service providers can continue to dedicate the necessary capacity and resources to respond to COVID-19, while also providing adequate time to effectively undertake consultations, work collaboratively with multi-sectoral partners, and meet the legislative requirements to develop meaningful and effective CSWB plans.
Community partners continue to underscore the importance and need for this type of holistic planning that addresses crime and complex social issues on a long-term, sustainable basis and improves the safety and well-being of Ontario communities.
Despite the unforeseen challenges that the pandemic has created, it is encouraging to see municipalities across the province perservere and make significant progress on their CSWB plans through innovative and forward-thinking approaches.
I greatly appreciate your on-going support as we move forward on this modernized approach to CSWB together. Through collaboration, we will continue to build safer and stronger communities in Ontario.
Lastly, if municipalities have any questions about CSWB planning, please direct them to ministry staff, Tiana Biordi, Community Safety Analyst, at Tiana.Biordi@ontario.ca.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General
