Item - 2020.EX14.15

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Director, Office Of Emergency Management to work with Provincial and Federal counterparts to develop and implement preventative and strategic response plans for potential threats and actual attacks on places of worship such that local places of worship can be a partner in the preventative approach. Such strategy should include but not be restricted to:
 

a. consulting with various police forces and public security services for knowledge transfer and best practices for preventing attacks and saving lives during an attack on a place of worship;

b. to engage faith groups and/or their representative organizations for scenario building and safety implementation strategies;

c. to create working training modules and implementation strategies so that willing and participating religious institutions can implement best practices to keep their buildings secure and congregants safe; and

d. updating and modernizing any existing emergency management policies that might be helpful in this strategy. 

At its meeting held on November 21, 2019, the Toronto Police Services Board was in receipt of a report from Chief Mark Saunders dated October 31, 2019 with regard to the City of Toronto Council Decisions – Establish Places of Worship Security Task Force.