The City of Toronto is facing questions about the cost of the security it places in places like homeless shelters and campswith various private security companies signing contracts totaling approximately $109 million.
Data shared by the city with Global News shows Toronto is currently tied to eight separate contracts with private security organizations, primarily for homeless-related services.
Three emergency shelter center security contracts are worth a total of $44.8 million, and another contract for core shelter facilities is worth $15 million. There is also an agreement with the Canadian Garda Security Corporation to provide “camp support” worth $11.9 million.
In addition, the city has a $4.8 million contract for security at the St. Lawrence Market Complex, $14.8 million for Union Station and $18.2 million for a contract that is simply described as private security at “city locations.”
The total value of these contracts is $109 million if the city exercises its options and extends them to their maximum length. They were signed in 2024 and 2023.
This year, the mayor's office has committed $35.2 million across all of those agreements.
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A spokeswoman for Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said private security is working with in-house teams to provide 24-hour surveillance at the city's 1,500 properties.
Teams are stationed at the camps to monitor facilities and notify outreach teams and identify security threats, the spokesman said.
“The primary response to camps is outreach and connection to social services through camp protocol,” they said in a statement to Global News.
Graph. Brad Bradford, who has already announced his intention to run for mayor next year, said the high cost of private security is a symptom of failed homelessness policies.
“I think we should look at this because $109 million is a pretty significant number,” he told Global News.
“Part of the mayor's response is to provide 24-hour security (at the camps). Not to give these people shelter or housing, but to just stand there and take notes and monitor.”
Some of the problems surrounding the city's encampments this year have centered on Dufferin Grove Park, where Toronto has moved to remove an encampment with support from police and private security.
In October, for example, City equipment removed as many as seven tents from the parkafter the previously cleared camp reappeared. The operation was led by city officials and police, with private security also present at the scene.
Bradford said money going to private security groups could be spent on police or other agencies that have more power to intervene in camps or if security problems arise.
“If it was just a matter of taking notes and then calling the police, many Torontonians would probably think there was no middleman,” he said.
“I would prefer to see this investment go to frontline police officers who have the tools, resources, training and authority to take action when necessary.”
Chow's office said security is part of the annual budget and there are “no plans to change that.”
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