Today, Toronto Police Service Chief of Police Myron Demkiw was joined by Staff Superintendent Joe Matthews and Staff Superintendent Kelly Skinner to announce the results of Project Beacon, the Tow Truck Task Force.
In late June, the Service announced the creation of Project Beacon, which involved specialty squads, divisional uniform members and strategically deployed resources to address tow truck related crimes.
Today, the Service announced the arrests of four people and 177 charges laid in connection with one homicide and 13 tow truck related shootings as part of this initiative.
Since January 1, 2024, there have been 43 tow truck-related shootings and discharges in the city.
The Service worked with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Durham Regional Police Service, and Peel Regional Police and encourages anyone with more information to call police or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS.
“We have taken a dynamic, Service-wide approach to the troubling rise in gun crime and we believe 14 per cent of all firearm discharges and shooting events in our city are connected to an ongoing territory dispute involving a small segment of the tow truck industry,” said Chief Demkiw.
The four arrests and 177 charges are in relation to separate incidents that took place between May and July of this year.
