Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations Releases Final Report and Recommendations to Toronto Police Services Board

TORONTO, April 13, 2021 /CNW/ - The Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations, headed by Hon. Gloria J. Epstein and Lead Counsel Mark J. Sandler, today released its final report, Missing and Missed.

The report details a series of serious deficiencies in the investigations into the missing person cases that prompted the Review. In total, 151 recommendations are offered including a transformative new approach to the roles of both the police and communities in addressing missing person cases. The report also provides specific proposals as to how its recommendations should be implemented in an effective and timely manner.  

In whole, the report and its recommendations are intended to help support the establishment of a new, more trusting and more positive relationship between the Toronto Police Service and the LGBTQ2S+ communities, and more generally, the intersecting, marginalized, and vulnerable communities it serves.

The full report can be found here. The Terms of Reference and Mandate for the Review can be found here.

Quotes
"I have identified serious deficiencies in how the Service conducted a number of the missing person investigations I examined, rooted in a range of systemic issues. I believe there is now an opportunity for truly transformative change in responding to these cases in a holistic way, and in building trust between Toronto police and those who are most marginalized and vulnerable."  -- Hon. Gloria J. Epstein

"Our hope is that this report is not only read but adopted. Accordingly, we set out an implementation plan that involves community partnership, public reporting and accountability - all with timelines and measurable outcomes." – Mark Sandler, Lead Counsel

About The Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations
The Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations (the "Review") was prompted, in large part, by the tragic deaths of members of Toronto's LGBTQ2S+ communities and by deep concerns about how the Toronto Police Service (the "TPS") conducted the investigations into their disappearances. The Review is designed to evaluate how the TPS has conducted and is conducting missing person investigations, particularly in relation to LGBTQ2S+ and vulnerable or marginalized communities, make recommendations to promote efficient, effective and bias-free investigations and better police relations with affected communities. For more information, please visit missingpersonsreview.ca.

SOURCE Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations

Fontane Choi, [email protected], 647.400.2468