Mississauga's Malton neighbourhood will have community police station again, according to Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah.

Duraiappah committed to re-open a police substation in Malton "with a bigger footprint," at the Nov. 13 city council meeting. Peel police originally had a community station, also called a substation, at the Westwood Square mall before it was closed in 2018.

Calls for a larger police presence, including a substation in the area were reignited following the killing of 17-year-old Jonathan Davis in Malton on Sept. 14. Five others were injured in the shooting, which Peel police called a "brazen act of violence."

"We look forward to just continuing to enhance our presence and service delivery (in Malton,)" he said at the meeting. "It clearly is needed in there and there are many other areas of this municipality that also feel the same."

Ward 5 Coun. Carolyn Parrish has advocated for the community substation to re-open, as well as a full-police division in the Malton area.

At the meeting, Parrish said that the police chief’s performance has been “so far, so fantastic,” and was supportive of the re-opening of a community station in her ward.

"To hear that it's re-opening and to hear with a larger footprint, you are going to be a hero in Malton,” she said. “The next time you walk through we'll probably be carrying you up on our shoulders."

In an interview after the council meeting, Peel police constable Akhil Mooken said he can't provide "exact details of this process and how long it's going to take."

“While there are plans to re-open the Malton community station, we still need and rely on the community's support, not only from residents, but also businesses to support our vision of a safer community together,” he said.

According to a 2017 Peel police report, community stations were introduced to be central locations for police and residents to collaborate and distribute information to the public. The report recommended the closure of the Malton community station noting a 22-per-cent decrease in daily incidents, as well as the cost of the $15,430 annual lease.