ACMO in Action

Joint Letter to Mayors and Chairs of Police Service Boards

Dear Mayors and Chairs:

We are writing to the mayors and chairs of the Police Services Board of major Ontario municipalities on behalf of the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO), the Toronto & Area and Eastern Ontario Chapters of the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) and the Canadian chapter of the Community Association Institute (CAI-C). As a result of the horrific Vaughan shootings in December 2022, in which five people involved with the governance of the condo corporation were murdered and one seriously injured, these associations have formed a joint Safety and Security Committee to identify areas where change is necessary to ensure that condominium communities are safe places to live for residents, and safe for those that work or volunteer in them.

Our associations are deeply concerned about the growing challenges created by incidents of harassment and violence within condominium communities across Ontario, which unfortunately appear to have increased even after the COVID pandemic, and the perceived inability of law enforcement to adequately respond to these situations, largely due to staffing constraints.

Condominiums are unique environments where individuals share close quarters and common spaces, sometimes leading to disputes that escalate into harassment or other troubling criminal behaviours. It is alarming to see a rise in incidents where condominium directors, condominium managers and related support staff are subjected to criminal harassment or threats of violence while carrying out their responsibilities. They are voicing genuine and significant apprehensions about their mental and physical safety.

Directors, condominium managers and other persons rely on timely police intervention to maintain safety and order within condominium spaces, particularly in situations involving harassment, intimidation, or repeated disturbances. Unfortunately, our observations and reports from multiple condominium boards and condominium management companies indicate a consistent pattern of delayed or inadequate responses from various police services to these situations. The sense is that officers can only focus on the most egregious problems. Earlier engagement would help prevent escalation to the point of violence.

We acknowledge the tremendous pressures facing police services and the limitations imposed by budgets and current staffing levels. However, we have identified the following serious shortcomings experienced by members of the condominium community:

• Inadequate Staffing. The hiring and training of more constables to address community-level concerns, including harassment in shared residential settings, has not been prioritized.
• Too Few Liaison Officers. There are too few designated officers or units to work with condominium boards and condominium managers, ensuring timely responses and better communication. We see a need to foster stronger relationships between law enforcement and condominium residents through outreach and education initiatives.

We are happy to see that Toronto has recently announced an increase to the Police Services budget including mental health support. We encourage the board to ensure that some of the new hires will be focused on condominium issues.

The tax revenue from condominiums represents significant funding to municipalities, but residents are left feeling underserved, even though these densely populated communities are a source of significant interpersonal conflict. We encourage municipalities to allocate sufficient funding to police services to allow personnel to successfully manage the increased risks in these settings.

Improving police response capabilities is essential to maintaining the safety and security of condominium communities. We urge you to take proactive measures to address this growing concern. Our committee is eager to collaborate and provide further insights to support these efforts.

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. We look forward to your response and the opportunity to work together to enhance community safety.

Yours truly,

Signed,

Mark Daye, President, ACMO
Brian Antman, President, CCI-T
Nancy Houle, President, CCI- EO
Sally Thompson, President, CAI-C

cc.      The Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
          The Hon. Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario
          The Hon. Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
          The Hon. Marit Stiles, Leader, New Democratic Party of Ontario; Leader, Official     Opposition
          The Hon. Bonnie Crombie, Leader, Liberal Party of Ontario
          The Hon. Mike Schreiner, Leader, Green Party of Ontario