Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow unveiled a plan on Monday to hire hundreds of new police officers across the city and dozens of new 911 operators.

The announcement is part of a five-year hiring plan that will see the Toronto Police Service grow by 720 new officers in the first two years. The City is also working to boost 911 response times amid long waits.

According to newly released data, the current average 911 wait time in Toronto is approximately 28 seconds. That is a drop from 2024, which averaged one minute and seven seconds. However, it is still longer than the standard set out by the National Emergency Number Association, which requires 90 per cent of calls to be answered within 15 seconds and 95 per cent within 20 seconds.

In October 2024, CityNews reported that delays in getting thr

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