Police forces in the Toronto area have stepped up their presence in Jewish and Muslim communities as the one-year anniversary of the deadly Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel inches closer.
“I think [it] will go a long way to helping ease some of the anxiety and the angst that we know many in our community have been feeling for the past 12 months, and in particular with tensions that are heightening right now in the Middle East,” Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca said Friday.
York Regional Police, like the Toronto Police Service, are ramping up their visibility throughout the region in the days leading up to the sombre milestone.
That includes two police command posts, including one mobile unit that will travel throughout York until Oct. 8 and a stationary unit at Promenade Mall in Thornhill, where Del Duca made his Friday morning address.
The mayor said he understands that this time of year is especially “challenging” to Jewish communities in the region and the world over as the anniversary coincides with the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
“I think people are trying their best to be celebratory, like you want to be with the new year, but at the same time, their hearts are heavy. They know, of course, tensions are rising in the Middle East, in Israel and you know the neighbouring countries,” he said, referencing Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier this week.
Del Duca said at this point, he has not been made aware of any specific threats in the region.
In Toronto, police will also be more visible. Mobile command units will be active in three predominantly Jewish neighbourhoods along Bathurst street, including posts at Glencairn, Sheppard, and Finch avenues. A fourth mobile command post will also be deployed to various Toronto mosques.
In an interview with CP24 on Friday, Toronto Police Chief Demkiw said the force has seen a “change” in the city as it relates to hate crimes – which have seen a 40 per cent spike year-over-year. Earlier this week, he noted that while “many different communities” have been targeted, hate crimes against the Jewish community have seen an increase of 69 per cent.
“We’ve got to be, as a police service, responsive to that change, and we meet our community’s expectations and protect our communities in a way that resonates and is proportionate to what’s going on in our communities today,” he said Friday.