Chief Bill Blair says Toronto police have ensured that people behind spate of gang violence can’t hurt anyone

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says all the “necessary steps” have been taken to ensure the five or six “truly dangerous” people behind a recent spate of gang violence in Scarborough can’t hurt anybody.
He would not say whether they are already in police custody on other charges.

“You know, you get one crack at this. You can’t go in with a serious charge like homicide unless you are prepared to prove it,” he said Friday.

“I think we’ve taken the steps necessary to protect the public while we gather the evidence in this investigation.”

Toronto’s top cop announced Friday that the city had seen a dramatic drop in crime as a result of a targeted surge in the number of police officers on city streets since late July. The force’s $2 million summer safety initiative, which ended Sunday, saw mandatory overtime put as many as 329 more officers on duty at any given time, with a concentration on high-crime areas.

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