Toronto police are looking to hand off operations of a voluntary registry meant to improve interactions with vulnerable members of the community to a third-party following a rollout plagued with communication failures and a lack of public engagement, according to a report by the city’s ombudsman.
The Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR), launched in 2019, offers those with mental health challenges or who have limited cognitive abilities the opportunity to voluntarily provide police with information such as specific behaviors or recommended de-escalation strategies.
Five years after its launch, however, Toronto’s Ombudsman has found that a lack of leadership and a failure to engage the public has led to a significantly low registration rate – just over 300 residents have signed up for the program.
“I believe there is one common underlying issue for the low registration numbers: a failure for someone or a unit within the …