Councillor Mike Del Grande appointed to the Toronto Police Services Board

Toronto City Council has passed an item from the City's Striking Committee which includes the appointment of Councillor Mike Del Grande (Ward 39 Scarborough-Agincourt) to the Police Services Board. Del Grande, who is also Chair of the City's Budget Committee, said he was honoured to receive the appointment:

"My appointment to the Toronto Police Services Board is a privilege and I look forward the challenge.

Toronto Police serves the Public and it's oversight is civilian based. Each member's skill set is required to provide a broad perspective of values and experience.

It is those values and experience that I will bring to the Board. Organizational and Financial experience are just two of the skills that I bring.

As a Ward Councillor representing many ethnic groups I also hope to continue the TPS bridge to all of our communities."

The Toronto Police Services Board is a seven member civilian body that oversees the Toronto Police Service, Canada's largest municipal police service. The Board rules on general management and policy for the Police Service.

Neighbourhood Safety Survey from Toronto Police Services

A message from our friends at Toronto Police Services 42 Division:

Neighbourhood Safety Survey

The Toronto Police Fall Safety Initiative called Project Neighbourhood Safety, began on October 15th 2012 and was intended to be an extension of the Service’s successful Summer Safety Initiative. It will wrap up on January 31st.

The goal of ...the Project Neighbourhood Safety is to prevent violence. To do this 42 Division has extra officers deployed to areas where there is a greater potential for gun and gang violence to occur. These areas were identified through crime analysis as well as officer and community input.
In order to determine how effective this initiative has been, we are soliciting feedback from the community in the form of an online survey. We are looking for you, members of the community, to tell us how you feel about safety and policing in your neighbourhood.

Go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NeighbourhoodSafetySurvey. 42 Division’s boundaries are Steeles Ave to the North, the 401 to the South, Victoria Park to the West and the Scarborough/Pickering town line to the East. A map can be found on the TPS website.

TPS alert

From our friends at the Toronto Police Service:

Toronto Police would like to remind all of you that when you are out raking leaves to lock the doors to your house. we are having a number of reports of thieves walking into homes and stealing goods while people are out cleaning up the said leaves. stay alert be safe and protect yourself.

What should I know about parking on the street?

Whether it be from the people worried about their neighbours parking on the street, or those who receive tickets themselves, one of the issues we hear most often about concerns parking on the street. We've compiled some of the important information here so you can be prepared; whether it be to keep your streets clear or to avoid fines in the future.

Can I park on the street?
In the City of Toronto, unless otherwise signed, you are allowed to park on the street for up to three hours at a time. If you exceed that limit, whether it be at your house or not, you risk being fined. This includes overnight parking.

What do I do if neighbours are parking on my street for more than three hours?
As a resident, you can call Parking Enforcement at 416-808-6600. Give them all the information you can (where the car is parked, when and how long it's been parked, and if possible, the make, model, and license plate of the car.), and they will send out an officer to investigate.

If it is a recurring problem, call our office at 416-392-1374. We will contact Parking Enforcement on your behalf, and set up an extended parking detail.

What do I do if I've been issued a ticket?
You have two options, pay the fine, or dispute the ticket. You can make the payment online, in person, by mail, or by telephone. If you choose to dispute the ticket, you must bring the ticket to one of four Parking Tag Operations offices, and schedule an appearance in court. More information on both of these can be found in the links below.

I've been parking on the street for years, why did I only get a ticket now?
Parking on the street for over three hours has always been illegal. Because of the complaint-driven nature of enforcement, street parking may not always be ticketed right away.

Can I apply for a parking permit to let me park on the street?
Parking permits allow the holder to park in specified areas on-sreet at designated hours. Unfortunately, parking permits are not issued for the Scarborough area at the current moment. The permit program is only in effect for the cities of Toronto, East York, York, and limited parts of Etobicoke; generally in areas where driveways are not common. Plans for expansion are under consideration.

Why have I received a notice of violation when I was parked on my own driveway?
If you are parking on a widened portion of your driveway, this is a Property Standards violation. A good rule of thumb is that you should not be parking more vehicles side-by-side than will fit in your garage. You may also receive a Parking Enforcement for parking over the sidewalk or on the boulevard portion of your driveway, both of which are City property. We will be exploring both these issues in more depth a future article.

Useful links:
Parking offences that do not require signs
What to do if you've received a parking ticket
Online parking ticket payment system
Permit Parking in Toronto
Toronto Police Services: Parking Enforcement

'Smarten up' on bike safety: police (The National Post)

Reprinted from The National Post, August 11th, 2009:

"Police say Torontonians need a refresher on bicycle safety after three accidents in the last week left one person dead and two more with life threatening injuries"

Read more...

No charges in fatal bike accident (The Toronto Sun)

Reprinted from The Toronto Sun, August 11th, 2009:

"It was only a matter of time before somebody on a sidewalk would be killed by a speedy cyclist. It's up to us if we want to stop there being more."

Read more...