

Codi Wilson, CP24.com





Premier Doug Ford has once again penned a letter to the mayor of Toronto calling for the city to hold a separate special meeting to address gun violence in Toronto.

Members of Toronto city council will attend a special meeting on Monday to discuss the city’s legal response to the Ford government’s bill that will see the number of councillors in Toronto reduced from the planned 47 to 25.

In a letter to Tory on Friday morning, the premier asked the city to put gun violence on the meeting’s agenda as well, an addition Tory said the city cannot make due to the rules that govern special meetings.

“As you (Ford) would remember from your time on city council, special meetings are confined to the issue for which they are called, so as to ensure their efficiency, accountability and transparency on behalf of the people of Toronto,” Tory wrote in a letter responding to Ford’s correspondence.

On Saturday afternoon, the premier decided to issue yet another letter, calling on the mayor to hold a second special meeting specifically addressing the issue of gun violence in Toronto.

He reiterated his request for the city to match the $25 million the province recently gave to Toronto to help curb gun violence in the city.

“As mayor you have the power to bring this issue before City Council and match our investment, a move that would further assure Toronto residents that their municipal government takes the fight against guns and gangs as seriously as the Province of Ontario does,” Ford wrote in his new letter.

“It is disappointing that you refuse to bring this issue before City Council for consideration and action. The fact that the special meeting you have called will focus on saving the jobs of politicians, instead of addressing options to deliver more resources to the fight against guns and gangs is telling.”

It should be noted that city council recently discussed the issue of gun violence at length and the mayor has previously announced additional initiatives and funding to help reduce gun violence in Toronto.

The city previously said it plans to implement ShotSpotter, an audio-sensing gunshot detection service, and will double the number of CCTV cameras across the city.

The Toronto Police Service has also deployed an additional 200 front-line officers to work during the overnight hours over the course of summer weekends.

Tory also said he committed to matching the province’s $25 million in funding prior to the release of Ford’s letters.

“We are of course going to match the money. I said that a week ago right when it was announced,” Tory told reporters at the Taste of Manila event in Toronto on Saturday morning.

“We are working well with both of the other governments, the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario, to make sure we can keep Toronto safe. Both of them are putting significant resources into helping Toronto with that.”

Ford said after speaking with Tory today, he is assured that the mayor is committed to tackling gun violence.

"The mayor is just as concerned as we are, make no mistake about it," Ford told CP24 at the Ukrainian Independence Day event in Centennial Park on Saturday.

"Our point is the guns and gangs, it is like the wild west out there. We don’t need it (more funding) in January, we need it now and I know the mayor feels the same way."