TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to meet with Toronto’s mayor today to discuss possible strategies to combat gun violence.
The prime minister’s meeting with John Tory is set to take place a day after the federal, provincial and municipal governments announced they would jointly offer $4.5 million to Toronto police to tackle gun crime.
The force has been grappling with a rising numbers of shootings over the past two years, with 14 separate shootings recorded over the recent long weekend alone.
Police have said the vast majority of those incidents were gang-related.
Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said Monday that the funding was welcome but did not immediately say how it would be spent.
Saunders said he will lay out his plan to deal with gun violence in the coming days.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a statement that the province’s $1.5-million contribution comes from reallocating money that had previously been earmarked for part of a four-year anti-gang funding effort.