A voluntary registry aimed at improving police interactions with vulnerable people during a crisis has “failed to do its job,” a report from the city’s ombudsman has concluded, laying bare a series of problems with an initiative heralded by Toronto police when it first launched.
Created in 2019, the database was intended for people who have limited cognitive ability or who may lack the capacity to communicate with officers, particularly during a crisis. The idea was to let individuals themselves or family members provide a kind of user manual to reduce the likelihood of a volatile police encounter, by providing personalized details including specific behaviours, contact information for family and recommended de-escalation strategies.