Bringin' in the Army

A few weeks ago, I wrote (or should I be saying blogged now?) about a possible part of the solution to Toronto's skyrocketing gun violence crisis: bringing in the Army. Yes, the same Army that came in to save us from the snow a decade ago, only this time coming back to defend us against a much deadlier natural disaster...a huge spike in the concentration of flying bullets in the air we breathe.

Well it should come as no surprise that I smiled when I read about the TAVIS Task Force earlier this week.

Launched in mid-January (no doubt because of my blog posting) the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy comprises three teams of 18 uniformed, specially trained police officers who monitor high risk Toronto neighborhoods a week at a time on a rotating basis. In addition to making friendly visits to sketchy bars, donut shops and strip clubs, the teams also respond en masse to nearby emergencies, both in virtually unprecedented displays of presence and authority.

The results? In less than a month, the $5-million operation has netted more than 60 arrests, mostly handgun-related (recall that 52 of Toronto's 78 homicides in 2005 were gun-related, and nearly double the 2004 figure of 27). In fact, the only real objection I gathered from the articles I read was almost comical; that the approach was a bit overdone, akin to dispatching the air force to respond to a petty theft. Well, if that's the downside, I'd say the program has merit, and I'd echo a local resident's comments, "Go for it...more power to you guys!"

Will the program work in the long run? Will the $5-million pay off? Time will tell, but it currently looks like we can at least leave General Hillier to more pressing matters (of which there are many) for the time being.