Toronto councillors recommended at budget committee on Friday that funding for programs to fight the roots of violence be increased each time Toronto Police Services gets more money.

“It’s often very easy for politicians to rush to put money together to give police resources in time of crisis — I think it’s a natural response,” said Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 11 University-Rosedale), who drafted the amendment.

The amendment, which was approved by budget committee, asks the city manager to report back during the 2020 budget process on a requirement that any funding increase to the Toronto Police Service’s budget to address crime be matched by funding of twice that amount to programs and services that address the root causes of violence and poverty reduction.

“We were prioritizing prevention over band-aid solutions,” said Layton, speaking about the amendment after the meeting.

He described the monetary figure as symbolic, but not the intention behind it.

“It’s not requesting money in the next budget, it’s requesting that we come up with a policy that says, if we’re going to invest in police, we need to also make the investment in social services. So, we’ll see what that looks like at the end of the day.”

Layton’s motion was an amendment to a recommendation from Mayor John Tory that the city use $1.5 million from the tax stabilization reserve to help fund an increase in the Toronto Police Service 2019 operating budget.

Tory made the promise to increase police funding after 17 people were wounded in 14 separate shooting incidents over the Civic Holiday weekend. The federal and provincial governments agreed to kick in another $3 million together.

At the budget committee on Friday, deputy chief of police James Ramer said that the additional money is needed to pay for staffing, including overtime, and equipment, although he wouldn’t specify what kind of equipment.

In August, Premier Doug Ford announced that the province would spend $3 million over three years to more than double the number of surveillance cameras in Toronto, to 74 from 34.

Critics say research has shown that CCTVs do not lead to a decrease in violent crime.

“Why spend limited funds on that? Let’s invest in our youth so that they never pick up a gun in the first place,” said Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 12 Toronto-St. Paul’s), who is not on the budget committee, but who has been lobbying for the creation of more youth hubs in the city.

Youth hubs are designed to provide safe and caring environments for teenagers to meet, participate in organized activities, get help with homework and be connected to other services they may need.

Matlow said he was heartened by the fact that the amendments carried, but it remains to be seen what they’ll look like when they reach full council.

Tory’s request for more police funding, with Layton’s amendment and another by Ward 17 councillor Shelley Carroll, will go next to the city’s executive committee and then to full council in October.

Policing is the city’s largest single cost, at $1 billion a year.

Layton said he doesn’t want to take money away from police, but he would like to see more funding put towards providing people with adequate housing, nutritious food and transportation so they can study and work and end the poverty cycle.

“Imagine if we were spending $2 billion on poverty reduction in Toronto, what our city would look like,” said Layton before the meeting.

“I think you’d find that by creating a more just society, we’d create a safer society.”

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Carroll (Don Valley North) presented an amendment supporting more financing for social programming that was ruled out of order. She was successful with an amended motion that city council, in light of the recent spate of gun violence, ask the federal government to deliver $26.2 million in National Crime Prevention grants to Toronto over the next five years.

“We need to address the roots of violence and we should do that at least in matching dollars, whenever we do something like adding to the police bag of tools,” said Carroll.

Councillor Frances Nunziata (Ward 5 York South-Weston), also moved a successful amendment to ask the city manager to report back on opportunities for partnerships with existing agencies to fund programs and services that address the root causes of violence and poverty reduction.

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