'We've got to do better': Toronto readies to launch non-police crisis response pilot

It's been just over a year since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, with the world erupting into protest and intense calls for police reform.

It's a push that's happening here, too.

In recent years, the Greater Toronto Area has seen its own share of highly publicized deaths following police encounters with people of colour, including Ejaz Choudry, D'Andre Campbell and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, all of whom were in the midst of a mental health crisis.

That's propelled the City of Toronto to look at its own policing, ultimately leading to the establishment of an $11-million pilot project that will soon become Canada's largest non-police alternative response program since Floyd's murder.

Denise Campbell, the city's executive director of social development, is leading the project, which has a mandate to primarily answer mental health calls.

"I hope that the legacy of George Floyd in Canada is what we're seeing right now, which is police services across the country, communities saying we've got to do better," said Campbell.

"And in some cases, that means de-tasking police of some of the mandates that they've taken on over time, that they're perhaps not best suited to do."

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