Published plans and annual reports 2024–2025: Ministry of the Solicitor General

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

The Ministry of the Solicitor General (the ministry) is committed to keeping Ontario communities safe. To fulfill its mandate, the ministry’s responsibilities are divided into two distinct parts: community safety and correctional services.

As part of its community safety mandate, the ministry is responsible for establishing province-wide police and fire standards and oversight and supporting crime and fire prevention initiatives at local and provincial levels. This includes provincial priorities such as gun and gang violence and human trafficking. It also oversees the governance and licensing of private security guards and investigators and is directly responsible for Ontario’s animal welfare enforcement system.

Within the correctional services’ mandate, the ministry operates a safe, effective and accountable adult corrections system that includes correctional facilities and probation and parole offices across the province. The ministry is responsible for the safety and well-being of correctional services staff and individuals on remand or serving a custodial or community sentence.

Organizations within the ministry that contribute to community safety include the Ontario Provincial Police, the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, the Office of the Fire Marshal and Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations. The ministry delivers training for first responders and frontline staff through the Corrections Centre for Professional Advancement and Training, Ontario Fire College and Ontario Police College. The ministry also develops training courses and operates mobile live fire training units for local fire services.

Ministry contribution to priority outcomes

Dedicated to making Ontario a safer place to live, work and raise a family, the ministry is focused on four key priority areas. Initiatives outlined in the Annual Report support these priorities:

• Building safer communities by ensuring police have the training, tools and resources to address provincial priorities such as combatting auto theft, bail compliance, gun and gang violence, human trafficking and hate crime.
• Cracking down on puppy mills and harmful breeding practices and strengthening animal welfare enforcement.
• Improving firefighter safety by expanding training and new investments in life saving equipment.
• Modernizing Ontario’s justice system and transforming the adult correctional system, including upgrading and building new infrastructure.

Legislation

Legislation administered by the ministry include:

Ammunition Regulation Act, 1994

Regulates the sale of ammunition. The act generally requires that purchasers be a minimum of 18 years old and requires that businesses keep certain records.

Anatomy Act

Allows the General Inspector (Chief Coroner) to send bodies, which have been donated or are unclaimed, to universities or colleges for educational purposes.

Christopher’s Law (Sex Offender Registry), 2000

Requires sex offenders who are residents of Ontario to register with police upon conviction and on an annual basis and at any time that they change their address. The ministry is required to maintain the registry and provide access to the police.

Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019

Provides the legislative framework for policing in Ontario. This Act received Royal Assent in March 2019 and it came into force on April 1, 2024, the day named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor. It replaced the Police Services Act.

Coroners Act

Provides for investigations by coroners into the circumstances surrounding certain deaths. The act sets out the circumstances under which an inquest will be held and the procedures for holding an inquest.

Correctional Services Staff Recognition Week Act, 2016

Proclaims the week commencing on the first Monday in May in each year as Correctional Services Staff Recognition Week.

Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997

Governs fire safety in Ontario and sets fire protection requirements for municipalities. The act establishes the Office of the Fire Marshal to oversee the operation of fire departments.

Firefighters’ Memorial Day Act, 2000

Establishes the first Sunday in October as Firefighters’ Memorial Day to honour firefighters.

First Responders Day Act, 2013

Establishes May 1 in each year as First Responders Day.

Forensic Laboratories Act, 2018

Imposes an accreditation requirement with respect to the carrying out of a laboratory test in a prescribed category that is requested for the purpose of legal proceedings, for some other legal purpose or pursuant to an order of a court or other lawful authority.

Hawkins Gignac Act (Carbon Monoxide Safety), 2013

Establishes the annual carbon monoxide awareness week.

Imitation Firearms Regulation Act, 2000

Regulates the sale and other transfers of imitation firearms and deactivated firearms, and prohibits the purchase and sale of starter pistols capable of being adapted for use as firearms.

Interprovincial Policing Act

Provides a framework for the exercise of police powers in Ontario by police officers from other provinces. Reciprocal legislation in other provinces permits Ontario police to exercise powers in those provinces.

Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, 2022

Establishes prohibitions for persons impeding certain transportation infrastructure if the impediment disrupts ordinary economic activity or interferes with the safety, health or well-being of members of the public. The protected transportation infrastructure will be international borders, international airports prescribed in regulation, and other transportation infrastructure prescribed in regulation that is of significance to international trade. Provides police officers and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles new tools to deal with these impediments, including powers related to license and plate suspensions.

Mandatory Gunshot Wounds Reporting Act, 2005

Requires hospitals that treat a person for gunshot wound(s) to disclose this fact to the local police.

Ministry of Correctional Services Act

Establishes the legislative framework for correctional services in Ontario and governs matters relating to the detention and release from custody of remanded and sentenced inmates. The act provides for community supervision services and establishes the Ontario Parole Board. The powers and duties of the Minister of Correctional Services are to be exercised by the Solicitor General, by Order in Council.

Ministry of the Solicitor General Act

Establishes the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Missing Persons Act, 2018

Establishes measures to assist members of a police service in locating a missing person in the absence of a criminal investigation. Also allows officers to apply for an order, or make an urgent demand, for the production of records to assist in locating a missing person or a search warrant to facilitate a search for a missing person.

Pawnbrokers Act

Provides for the licensing of pawnbrokers and for the collection and production of information regarding items pledged. The act is to be repealed on a day named by proclamation.

Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015

Sets out a process and exceptions governing requests for searches of the Canadian Police Information Centre databases, or other police databases, in connection with screening an individual for certain purposes.

Police Services Act (repealed)

Provides the legislative framework for policing in Ontario. This act requires municipalities to decide on the method of providing adequate and effective policing in their communities. This act also creates the Ontario Provincial Police, the Special Investigations Unit, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, the Independent Police Review Director and the Ontario Police Arbitration Commission. The Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 received Royal Assent in March 2019, and once in force, will replace the Police Services Act.

Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005

Regulates private investigators and security guards. The act replaced the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act.

Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act

Sets out inspection, enforcement and appeal procedures for the prevention of cruelty to animals and deals with animals in distress. The act also continues the Animal Care Review Board.

Security for Electricity Generating Facilities and Nuclear Facilities Act, 2014

Sets out various powers for peace officers in respect of restricted access to electricity and nuclear generating facilities.

Ministry programs

Community safety

Public safety

The Public Safety Division works with policing, municipal, First Nation and community partners to promote community safety and well-being. Activities include: scientific analysis at the Centre of Forensic Sciences; oversight of the private security and investigative services industry; development and amendment of policing legislation, regulation and guidance; expert training delivery and support for police and other public safety personnel to meet law enforcement needs; program development and administration of community safety grants; implementation and support for community safety and well-being planning across the province; support for intelligence-led law enforcement operations; management of provincial appointments; delivery of Ontario Major Case Management; administration and enforcement of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, including the protection of animals; and broader engagement, policy and program development and administration of funding agreements with First Nations communities to support First Nations policing in Ontario.

Ontario Provincial Police

Under the leadership of the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the OPP provides direct frontline policing services in hundreds of municipalities and First Nations communities throughout the province using Ontario’s Mobilization and Engagement Model. The OPP investigates province-wide and cross-jurisdictional crimes including complex fraud and organized criminal activity. In addition, the OPP patrols provincial highways and is responsible for many of the waterways and trail systems in the province. The OPP maintains specialized provincial registries, including the Violent Crimes Linkages Analysis System and the Ontario Sex Offender Registry as well as managing the Amber Alert System. Oversight of provincial strategies such as child exploitation, serious fraud, biker enforcement, guns and gangs and auto theft are also responsibilities of the OPP. Included as part of its provincial mandate, the OPP also investigates anti-terrorism, cybercrime, provides emergency services support, is responsible for security for high profile international events and delivers specialized security and protection services for the Government of Ontario throughout the province.

Office of the Fire Marshal

The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) provides leadership and expertise on fire safety matters, promotes changes to minimize the impact of fire and other public safety hazards on people, property and the environment in Ontario and is responsible for carrying out its legislated mandate as set out in the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA).

The OFM works to minimize the loss of life and property from fire in Ontario by supporting municipalities, fire services and other public safety agencies to meet the needs of their communities through public fire safety education programs for Ontario’s fire services and the public; training programs and curriculum for fire services personnel and accredited certification testing to professional qualifications standards; fire protection and prevention programs and services to support all fire departments in Ontario in providing the right levels of service based on the needs and circumstances of the areas they serve and the provisions of the FPPA; technical advice and assistance on the application and enforcement of the FPPA and Fire Code and management of the appeals process for Orders received under the FPPA; assistance to municipalities and coordination of response to incidents or emergencies; investigations to determine the cause, origin and circumstances of any fire and/or explosion that might have caused loss of life, serious injury or damage to property; and, advice to government on public fire protection and fire safety issues.

Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service

Ontario’s death investigation system is delivered in partnership between the Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS). The OCC and the OFPS have a shared mission to provide high quality death investigations that support the administration of justice, the prevention of premature death and is responsive to Ontario’s diverse needs.

The OCC is responsible for conducting death investigations and inquests in accordance with provisions of the Coroners Act. Investigations are typically conducted in sudden and unexpected deaths in order to answer five questions (who, where, when, how and by what means) and to determine if an inquest should be conducted where not mandated by the Coroners Act. Investigations and inquests may result in recommendations that, if implemented, may reduce the likelihood of further deaths thereby enhancing public safety. The OCC also provides reporting, monitoring and oversight on all provincial medical assistance in dying cases, including data collection in accordance with federal legislation.

The OFPS is legislatively responsible for providing medicolegal autopsy services pursuant to the Coroners Act. Since 2008, the Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit (PFPU) of the OFPS , in partnership with the University of Toronto, has operated the first Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) accredited training program for forensic pathologists in Ontario and Canada. The PFPU also trains international candidates to promote global capacity development. The Eastern Ontario Regional Forensic Pathology Unit in Ottawa is also now a RCPSC-accredited forensic pathology training site for the OFPS. The OFPS also provides training for medical students, pathology and imaging residents, pathology assistants, undergraduate students and other medical and non-medical learners.

Inspectorate of Policing

The Inspectorate of Policing is an arm’s length division of the Ministry of the Solicitor General which provides the operational support necessary to fulfill the Inspector General of Policing’s statutory duties and authorities under Part VII of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA). As a Centre of Excellence for public safety in Canada, it works collaboratively with the policing entities it regulates through an oversight system that has both preventative and compliance-based tools, including advisory and monitoring, inspections and investigations. The Inspectorate’s work is supported by data intelligence that is focused on improving the sector’s overall performance, enhancing the effective delivery of policing services, modernizing its governance and improving confidence in Ontario’s policing sector.

Correctional services

The mandate of correctional services is to provide care, custody and control of inmates who are remanded and/or serving a custodial sentence (up to two years less a day) and to provide supervision of offenders serving sentences in the community on terms of probation, conditional sentence and Ontario parole. Key services and programs offered by the ministry include staff training and rehabilitative programming, treatment and services designed to help offenders achieve changes in attitude and behaviour to support successful reintegration into the community and enhance public safety.

Correctional Services has five divisions: Institutional Services, Community Correctional Services, Operational Support, Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations and Corrections Centre for Professional Advancement and Training. Authority for correctional services is provided under both provincial and federal legislation including the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, Provincial Offences Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.

Ministry administration, Justice Technology Services, and policy

Ministry administration

The ministry’s core businesses are supported by corporate services which provides leadership, direction, planning and governance. Ministry Administration encompasses several key offices including the Solicitor General’s Office, the Parliamentary Assistants’ Office, the Office of the Deputy Solicitor General for Community Safety, the Office of the Deputy Solicitor General for Correctional Services, the Associate Deputy Minister’s Office, the Provincial Security Advisor’s Office and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. Additionally, it includes the Communications Branch, Legal Services Branch, Business and Financial Planning Branch, Procurement and Business Improvement Branch and Human Resources Strategic Business Unit. The program also shares justice sector services for freedom of information and French language services.

Justice Technology Services Cluster

The Justice Technology Services Cluster delivers highly integrated and complex Information & Information Technology services and solutions and reliable and responsive operational support. This is in alignment with the Enterprise Technology Strategy that enables and supports business priorities and modernization of the justice sector ministries (Ministry of the Solicitor General, Ministry of the Attorney General, including their respective provincial agencies and Youth Justice Division, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services). Key support is provided through development, implementation and maintenance of technology solutions and critical services, liaising with other service providers, as well as information management and planning.

Strategic Policy Division

The Strategic Policy Division is responsible for leading policy development to support ministry and government priorities. Key functions include the development of evidence-based policy, legislation and regulations and the coordination of justice sector intergovernmental activities.

Modernization

Emergency services telecommunications

Emergency Services Telecommunications Division (ESTD) provides leadership and oversight to large-scale, complex telecommunications initiatives. ESTD delivers high availability, critical communications services for emergency services across the province. ESTD supports end-to-end public safety through delivering the Public Safety Radio Network and supporting the Next Generation 9-1-1 and Public Safety Broadband initiatives.

Data insights and strategic initiatives

The Data Insights and Strategic Initiatives Division focuses on advancing Ontario’s criminal justice sector through innovation, digital integration, data and client-focused project services and solutions. The division provides a suite of services to all ministry divisions, partner ministries and stakeholders to lead, plan and deliver on priority initiatives, such as the Criminal Justice Digital Design and Criminal Justice Video Strategy initiatives in partnership with the Ministry of the Attorney General. The division also provides governance, project intake services, performance measurement, data analysis, business intelligence, as well as project and change management support to projects across the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Health services

Health Services Division provides strategic leadership to advance an accredited health care model for Correctional Services that supports a standard of care that is equivalent to community health care and considers health equity and culturally appropriate care. It also leads the Mental Health Secretariat and is the key liaison and support to the four mental health collaborative tables, which are focused on early intervention and on improving access to specialized mental health services to public safety personnel.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Division provides strategic leadership and oversight over the ministry’s long-term capital planning needs, the renewal and improvement of ageing infrastructure and delivery on major infrastructure projects across community safety and correctional services. Infrastructure Division provides strategic services to the ministry’s diverse program areas including leasing accommodations, from procurement to building completion and in ensuring compliance with the ministry’s technical standards for architectural design and engineering needs. It is responsible for the long-term management of the ministry’s capital portfolio and the development of its capital programs and standards.

2024–25 strategic plan

Key performance indicators

Outcome: Reduction in the incidence of violent crime

Indicator: Violent Crime Severity Index (Ontario)
Source of data: Statistics Canada, Data Table: 35-10-0026-01 and Data Table: 35-10-0177-01

The ministry is committed to addressing instances in violent crime in Ontario. In 2022, the Violent Crime Severity Index (VCSI) was 77.7, a 6.7 per cent increase from 2021 (72.9). The VCSI increased steadily for several years pre-pandemic, peaking in 2019 at 75.4. Between 2015 (59.9) and 2019 (75.4), there was a 25.7 per cent increase in the VCSI in Ontario, suggesting that violent crime has become more severe. This was followed by a 7.7 per cent decrease in the VCSI in 2020. This decline can be attributed to COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders. The trend for the police-reported crime rate in Ontario has followed a similar pattern, increasing steadily until 2019 (an increase of 18.3 per cent between 2015 (3,573) and 2019 (4,228)), followed by a 12 per cent decrease in 2020 (3733). Ontario’s police-reported crime rate was 4,151 per 100,000 population in 2022, a seven per cent increase compared to the crime rate in 2021 (3,880). Similar to the VCSI, the decline in the police-reported crime rate in 2020 can be attributed to the restrictions and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outcome: Improve conditions of infrastructure in correctional facilities

Indicator: Facility Condition Index
Source of data: Infrastructure Ontario

Ensuring the upkeep of existing infrastructure while investing in improvements to Ontario’s correctional facilities is a core outcome for the ministry. The Facility Condition Index (FCI) provides the ministry with an overall measure of the condition of correctional facilities in Ontario. The FCI compares the cost to remedy existing deficiencies of an asset, or a group of assets, with the current replacement value of the asset(s) and is expressed as a percentage; a higher FCI score means that the ministry’s facilities are in a greater level of distress. The ministry’s target is to keep the FCI within a band of limited to normal deterioration (0-10%) and minor distress (11-30%). The FCI score was 14.80% in the 2018–2019 to 2020–2021 planning years, which serves as the baseline for this indicator. The subsequent trend data shows the FCI will remain between approximately 16% and 19% from the 2023–24 to 2025–26 planning years and the 2028–29 to 2030-31 planning years.

Outcome: Ontario is prepared for emergencies and natural disasters

Indicator: Percentage completion of Emergency Management Program legislative requirements
Source of data: Emergency Management Ontario

The ministry works together with Emergency Management Ontario to coordinate, develop and implement prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery strategies to maximize the safety, security and resiliency of ministry operations and services. The ministry is committed to maintain its high level of preparedness for emergencies and natural disasters by ensuring that all legislative requirements pertaining to Emergency Management are met. The baseline year for this indicator is 2017 where the ministry completed 100% of its legislative requirements. The target is 100%, which reflects the continued expectation that all legislated emergency management requirements for the ministry are completed each year. Between 2017 and the most current reporting year, 2022, the ministry has maintained a 100% completion rate, with one exception in 2021 where the ministry completed 93% of its legislative emergency management requirements.

Note: ministry planned expenditures include statutory appropriations and consolidations. Numbers may not add up due to rounding.

Ministry budget 2024–25, operating expense and capital expense ($M)

Note: numbers may not add up due to rounding.
Other services includes ministry administration, Strategic Policy Division, Inspectorate, Data Insights and Strategic Initiatives, and Agencies, Boards and Commissions.

Detailed financial information

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Historic trends

The Ministry of the Solicitor General is the largest direct-delivery service provider in the Ontario Public Service, providing essential frontline community safety services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to maintain the safety and security of all Ontarians. Actual ministry expenses increased in 2022-23 mainly due to investments to sustain and support service delivery for the Public Safety Division and Correctional Services. The ministry takes the province’s fiscal challenges seriously and is actively working with its justice sector partners to modernize service delivery to restrain expenditures while maintaining critical service delivery.

Provincial agencies

The ministry is affiliated with the following independent agencies:

Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission (the commission) — non-board governed agency

The Commission administers the conciliation, mediation-arbitration and adjudication processes pursuant to the CSPA and the Regulations thereto. The Commission’s main function involves the appointment of conciliators and arbitrators to assist police associations and police services boards in the resolution of disputes arising out of negotiations and administration of collective agreements. Under the CSPA, the Commission administers the adjudication of police discipline disputes by appointing adjudicators who will hold disciplinary hearings.

Death Investigation Oversight Council (DIOC) — advisory agency

DIOC is an independent oversight body committed to serving Ontarians by ensuring that death investigation services are provided in a transparent, effective and accountable manner. As an advisory agency, DIOC provides advice and makes recommendations to the Chief Coroner and Chief Forensic Pathologist and administers a public complaints process through its complaints committee. In addition, DIOC advises the Chief Coroner regarding subsection 26(2) reviews for discretionary inquest.

Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund Committee — advisory agency

The committee reviews applications submitted to the Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund and makes funding recommendations to the Solicitor General. The committee also advises on the administration of the scholarship fund. The scholarship is available to spouses and children of public safety officers who have died in the line of duty. The scholarship pays for the cost of postsecondary education, up to five years, including tuition, textbooks and eligible living expenses.

Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (the council) — board-governed operational enterprise

Established in 1993, the Council promotes fire safety and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals interested in public safety. The Council is a non-profit corporation without share capital under Part XI of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 and is comprised of a Board of Directors and other members of the Council who are representatives from fire services, industry and the public. The Fire Marshal is the chair of the Council. The Council forms partnerships, raises and distributes funds and endorses programs and products necessary to further the development of Ontario as a fire-safe province.

Ministry organization chart

This is a text version of an organizational chart for the Ministry of the Solicitor General as of April 3, 2024. The chart shows the following hierarchical structure with the top level assigned to the Solicitor General.

• Solicitor General — Michael Kerzner
  • Provincial Agencies
    • Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers Survivors Scholarship Fund — Patricia Kirkwood, Chair
    • Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council — Jonathan Pegg, Chair
    • Ontario Police Arbitration Commission — Sig Walter, Chair
    • Death Investigation Oversight Council — Edward Then, Chair
  • Deputy Solicitor General, Community Safety — Mario Di Tommaso
    Executive Advisor - Mark Okada
    • Ontario Provincial Police — T. Carrique, Commissioner
      • Field Operations — C. Harkins, Deputy Commissioner and Provincial Commander
        • Healthy Workplace Bureau — Dr. V. Lee, Chief Psychologist
      • Investigations and Organized Crime — M. Kearns, Deputy Commissioner and Provincial Commander
      • Traffic Safety and Operational Support — R. Thompson, Deputy Commissioner and Provincial Commander
        • Technology and Client Services — M. Johnston, Director
      • Corporate Services — M. Silverthorne, Provincial Commander
        • Human Resources Section — L. MacKay, Acting Director
        • Business Management — M. McRae, Bureau Commander
      • Culture and Strategy Services — K. Dart, Provincial Commander
        • Respect, Inclusion and Leadership — R. Veerappan, Director
    • Office of the Chief Coroner — Dr. D. Huyer, Chief Coroner
    • Ontario Forensic Pathology Service — Dr. M. Pollanen, Chief Pathologist
      • Administration and Business Services — T. Fernandes, Director (this position also reports to the Chief Coroner and the Fire Marshal)
    • Public Safety Division — K. Weatherill, Assistant Deputy Minister 
      • External Relations — M. Longo, Director
      • Centre of Forensic Sciences — A. Peaire, Director
      • First Nation Policing — A. Jones, Acting Director
      • Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario — J. Walker, Director
      • Ontario Police College — P. Hebert, Director
      • Private Security and Investigative Services — C. McLinden, Director
      • Animal Welfare Services — M. Milcynski, Director & Chief Animal Welfare Inspector
    • Office of the Provincial Security Advisor — C. Letang, Provincial Security Advisor
      • Provincial Security — C. Unfried, Deputy Provincial Security Advisor
    • Office of the Fire Marshal — J. Pegg, Fire Marshal
      • Standards, Training and Public Education — John McBeth, Deputy Fire Marshal
      • Field, Advisory andTechnical Services — J. Snider, Deputy Fire Marshal
      • Fire Investigation and Emergency Response — N. Macdonald-Duncan, Deputy Fire Marshal
      • Administration and Business Services — T. Fernandes, Director
    • Inspectorate of Policing — R. Teschner, Inspector General
      • Investigations, Inspections and Liaison  — J. Maiorano, Deputy Inspector General 
      • Centre for Data Intelligence and Innovation  — R. Chetlur, Director
  • Deputy Solicitor General, Correctional Services — Karen Ellis
    Executive Advisor - Jayne Harken
    • Operational Support — T. Lewis, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Corrections Centre for Professional Advancement and Training — K. Michalicka, Director
      • Corrections Policy, Planning and Service Delivery — G. Campbell, Director
      • Service Management and Oversight — I. Sykes, Acting Director
      • Program Design and Implementation — N. Alexander, Director
    • Modernization — E. Hannah, Associate Deputy Minister
    • Emergency Services Telecommunications Division — J. Stevenson, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Next Generation and Broadband Infrastructure — P. Thompson, Acting Director
      • Government Mobile Communications — P. Major, Acting Director
    • Health Services Division — M. Mayoh, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Corporate Health Care and Wellness — L. Ogilvie, Acting Director
    • Infrastructure Division — T. Dirks, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Facilities and Capital Planning — F. Abdi, Acting Director
    • Data Insights and Strategic Initiatives Division — C. Johns, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Transformation Design and Delivery — M. Falconi, Acting Director
      • Criminal Justice Transformation — S. Singh, Acting Director
      • Business Intelligence and Insights — C. Hagyard, Acting Director
    • Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations — R. Rose, Chief
    • Institutional Services — D. Pitfield, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Institutional Services — D. Pitfield, Assistant Deputy Minister
        • Institutional Services — K. Sawicki, Executive Director
          • Eastern Region — T. Gunton, Regional Director
          • Central Region — C. Lacroix, Acting Regional Director
          • Western Region — K. Fitzgerald, Regional Director
          • Northern Region — M. Lauzon, Acting Regional Director
          • Toronto Region — T. Frankovich, Acting Regional Director
      • Correctional Services Operations — L. O’Brien, Acting Director
    • Community Correctional Services — M. Watson, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Eastern Region — A. Ergin, Regional Director
      • Central Region — T. Chhokar, Regional Director
      • Western Region — B. Forbes, Regional Director
      • Northern Region — I. Caron, Acting Regional Director
      • Operations and Implementation — S. Mitchell, A/Director
  • Corporate Services
    • Corporate Services Division — M. Duran-Schneider, Assistant Deputy Minister, Chief Administrative Officer
      • Human Resources Strategic Business Unit — T. Jones, Acting Director
      • Procurement and Business Improvement — P. Amodeo, Acting Director
      • Business and Financial Planning — A. Mukoma, Director
      • Freedom of Information — E. Ragone, Coordinator
      • Freedom of Information — French Language Services – A. Tagsa, Coordinator
  • Justice Technology Services — C. Emile, Assistant Deputy Minister/Chief Information Officer
    • MAG Solutions — D. Thompson, Acting Head
    • SOLGEN Solutions — A. Ajeya, Acting Head
    • Service Management — M. Sabharwal, Acting Head
    • Common Cluster Solutions — S. Fournier, Head
    • Operational Excellence — C. Lin, Acting Director
    • Criminal Justice Digital Design — T. Al-Shumari, Acting Director
  • Communications Branch — V. Hopper, Acting Director
  • Legal Services — B. Loewen, Legal Director
  • Audit Services — B. Obee, Acting Director

Annual report

2023–24 Results

The ministry is building stronger and safer communities by supporting the public safety needs of the people of Ontario.

Building safer communities

Measures to prevent auto theft

With vehicle thefts and carjackings on the rise, the ministry took bold action against these serious and often violent crimes where high-tech criminals operate in tightly organized networks. The ministry continues to implement measures aimed at disrupting organized crime rings and bringing criminals to justice.

In Ontario, a motor vehicle is stolen every 14 minutes. The ministry is responding by investing $51 million in bold new measures to help police identify organized crime networks and put auto thieves behind bars. The investment will be delivered over three years and includes:

• An Organized Crime Towing and Auto Theft Team led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The team will draw on the success of the province’s towing joint force operation and will take a whole-of-Ontario approach, working closely with municipal and First Nation police services to identify, disrupt and dismantle organized crime networks participating in auto theft.
• A new Preventing Auto Thefts (PAT) Grant program to put the brakes on auto theft. Through the PAT Grant, the ministry is investing $18 million over three years to fund 21 projects to help police services combat auto theft by supporting new and enhanced crime-fighting measures that focus on prevention, detection, analysis and enforcement.
• A first-of-its-kind auto theft prosecution teams to investigate and prosecute criminal organizations that profit from stolen vehicles. These teams will provide dedicated legal and prosecutorial support to the OPP to effectively prosecute complex cases.

The new measures build on multiple projects already funded through the Ministry of the Solicitor General since 2019 that have supported police investigations of auto theft and carjacking networks, resulting in the recovery of hundreds of vehicles, along with seizures of illegal drugs and firearms.

The ministry is also exploring opportunities with the Canada Border Services Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, rail companies and shipping container companies to stop the smuggling of stolen cars out of Canada.

Tighter bail compliance for high-risk and repeat offenders

It is unacceptable that repeat and violent offenders are committing serious crimes while out on bail. By giving police the tools they need to track and arrest offenders who violate their bail condition, the ministry is helping to ensure Ontario is one of the safest jurisdictions in Canada.

Ontario is a national leader in making the case to reform Canada’s bail system. In 2023–24, the ministry took clear action to strengthen bail compliance, especially for high-risk and repeat violent offenders. The government is investing $112 million to strengthen the province’s bail system by providing resources to police services, help put real time data in the hands of law enforcement and create a Bail Compliance Unit within the OPP Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) team. ROPE investigates high-risk offenders who are wanted for breaching their bail conditions or are unlawfully at large. Specific initiatives include:

• A Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension (BCWA) Grant program will provide $24 million over three years to help prevent repeat and violent offenders from committing serious crimes while out on bail. The BCWA Grant program supports 12 OPP detachments, 17 municipal and four First Nations police services in the creation of dedicated bail compliance and warrant apprehension teams to monitor, locate and charge offenders who are not in compliance. Funding will also help with training and equipment for officers assigned to these teams.
• The establishment of Intensive Serious Violent Crime Bail Teams within the court system. These teams support police on bail matters involving serious and violent crimes, including firearm offences and serious repeat offenders.
• A new province-wide bail compliance dashboard to help monitor high-risk offenders with the most accurate data available.

Cracking down on puppy mills

Ontario has the strongest penalties for animal welfare violations in the country. Legislation aimed at preventing the unethical breeding and sale of dogs will ensure the province remains a leader in animal welfare by being the first province to introduce penalties specific to puppy mills.

The ministry introduced legislation to help stop unethical dog breeding operations, often known as puppy mills. The term puppy mill is used to describe a dog breeder that engages in poor breeding practices such as the overbreeding of dogs in substandard conditions. Dogs sold by puppy mill operators can have numerous health conditions due to inferior quality of care.

The Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act, 2023 (PUPS Act), if passed, will amend the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 (PAWS Act) to stop harmful dog breeding practices, impose penalties and make sure that dogs across the province receive the care they deserve.

Changes proposed by the PUPS Act will prohibit harmful dog-breeding practices most often associated with puppy mills and the reckless sale of dogs.

Under the proposed legislation, the province will introduce minimum penalties of $10,000 for those operating a puppy mill and $25,000 if violations result in the death of a dog. Changes will also allow the province to help develop regulations to set conditions that must be met when selling or transferring a dog and establish regulations for record-keeping.

Investing in Mobile Crisis Response Teams

Mobile Crisis Response Teams are best positioned to respond to people experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis and to de-escalate situations that could pose a risk to public safety.

The ministry invested $4.5 million in 2023–24 through the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) Enhancement Grant to help police services provide specialized support to people who are experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis. These teams consist of police officers and crisis workers working together to respond to complex situations where mental health or addiction may be a factor.

Thirty-nine police services received grant funding to help ensure these specialized resources are available where and when needed. The MCRT Enhancement Grant is part of Ontario’s Roadmap to Wellness to build the province’s mental health and addictions system.

Community grants to prevent local crime

Fighting back against hate

Strong partnerships with community-based organizations are critical to help combat the rise in hate crime and address the root causes of hate in all its forms. Victims of hate are doubly victimized. Hate-motivated intimidation, violent attacks and desecration of property and places of worship are also an attack on the victims’ identity.

In 2022, there were 1,721 incidents of police-reported hate crimes – an almost 20 per cent increase from 2021. Acts that incite hatred, fear and intimidation have no place in our communities. The ministry is fighting back by investing nearly $1 million annually to help stop hate-motivated crimes across the province under the Safer and Vital Communities (SVC) Grant program. The SVC Grant promotes safer and more inclusive communities and funding is available to community-based, not-for-profit organizations and First Nation Band Councils. The theme of the 2024-26 grant cycle is Preventing Hate-Motivated Crime Through Community Collaboration with a focus on cultural, ethnic and faith-based hate in communities that have experienced an increase in hate-motivated crime.

Supporting victims and survivors of heinous crimes

Intimate partner violence, human trafficking and child exploitation are heinous crimes that can have devastating impacts. Supporting victims and survivors is a crucial first step and part of a plan to combat crime and ensure that victims are not left behind.

The ministry invested more than $4 million in 2023–24 to help victims and survivors of intimate partner violence/domestic violence, human trafficking and child exploitation receive the support they need when and where they need it under its Victim Support Grant (VSG) program. The program is funding 45 projects that will help address local supports and services, increase law enforcement’s investigative capacity, introduce specialized intervention programs and create culturally sensitive awareness campaigns.

The VSG is part of Ontario’s Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy and complements the province’s $307 million Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy, 2020–2025 and Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021.

Pathways for more people to consider a career in policing

The government is listening to the concerns about police recruitment shortfalls and limited training capacity and taking concrete steps to remove barriers and expand opportunities for those considering a rewarding career as a police officer.

Recruitment and retention are among the biggest challenges facing police services, not just in Ontario, but across Canada. As part of the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, an amendment to the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 maintained the requirement for applicants to have a high school diploma or equivalent to be hired as a police officer. This is consistent with the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police feedback that a postsecondary education requirement places too much of a barrier on recruitment efforts.

The amendment is one piece of a broader package aimed at removing barriers for recruitment and putting more police officers on the street faster. Other measures taken:

• Covering 100 per cent of the tuition for Basic Constable Training, retroactive to January 1, 2023. This represents a savings of approximately $15,000 for the average recruit.
• Expanding the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College by 140 recruits in 2023 and adding a fourth cohort beginning in 2024. Starting in 2024, the college will graduate four cohorts of up to 500 officers, up from the three cohorts of 480 officers in 2023.

Funding police crime prevention initiatives

The government is using cash and proceeds seized from criminals to help support victims and increase awareness of crimes such as gang violence and hate.

The ministry is fighting back against criminal activity and building safer communities by using proceeds of crime to invest in local crime prevention initiatives. More than $6 million has been allocated over three years for the Proceeds of Crime Front-Line Policing Grant.

Funding helps police services implement initiatives on a local level with funds forfeited to the province as proceeds of crime following criminal prosecutions. Since 2018, the government has invested more than $16 million in crime prevention initiatives through the program. For the current cycle, the funding will support 23 projects by law enforcement agencies and community partners, including:

• Collaboration between police services and community service providers to increase awareness about hate crime.
• Providing enhanced resources to help stop gang recruitment efforts, disrupt the sale of illegal drugs by organized crime groups and provide support to victims and others affected by crime.
• Building positive relationships between law enforcement and schools, developing and implementing learning opportunities for youth, reducing and preventing gang involvement and street violence as well as educating youth about internet safety.

Technologies to support public safety

Transitioning to Next Generation 9-1-1

Next Generation 9-1-1 represents the single largest leap in emergency telecommunications since 9-1-1 emergency dispatch was brought to Canada in 1972.

The ministry invested $78 million in telecommunications infrastructure to help municipalities and emergency response centres transition to a new emergency communications system known as Next Generation 9-1-1.

The difference between life and death in an emergency can be measured in minutes, if not seconds. Once fully operational, Next Generation 9-1-1 will make it easier to provide dispatchers with additional details about emergencies, including pictures from the scene.

The new digital system will also give emergency operators and dispatchers the ability to identify the location of calls, using GPS coordinates, resulting in a safer, faster and more informed emergency response. It will also enable the public to text 9-1-1 in real time to request immediate help from police, fire or ambulance services.

Emergency communications centres across the province have until March 4, 2025, to transition their networks from analog to digital as mandated by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The ministry is working with the 9-1-1 telecommunications sector, including policing partners and fire services, to support emergency communications responses to migrate to Next Generation 9-1-1. There are currently 72 municipally funded and private public safety answering points in Ontario.

The $78 million in funding is part of a $208 million investment over three years (2022–23 to 2024–25) to help support the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 through technology and infrastructure upgrades, including cyber-security and training.

Expanding Closed-Circuit Television surveillance to protect against gun and gang violence

Gun and gang violence is one of the most serious crimes to impact Ontario communities. Its reach extends to other serious and violent crimes such as drug and human trafficking and auto theft.

The ministry expanded the fight against gun and gang violence across the province by investing more than $2.8 million in 2023–24 on new Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) technology through the Ontario CCTV Grant. The funding will help 24 police services replace outdated CCTV equipment, enhance current technology and expand coverage in areas where gun and gang violence and correlated crimes such as drug and human trafficking are most prevalent.

The CCTV Grant covers 50 per cent of a project’s total costs, up to $200,000 and is tied to local gun and gang prevention strategies. No gang member wants to be captured on film and no trafficker wants to be caught in the act. These state-of-the-art surveillance systems include crisp imaging, advanced night-vision capabilities and 360-degree fields of view. Data collected from CCTV surveillance can be used to support criminal investigations and prosecutions.

The CCTV Grant program is part of the province’s Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy which helps to deter criminal activity and improve public safety. Through this strategy, the ministry has made tactical investments to dismantle organized crime rings, block the flow of guns crossing the border and enhance investigations into organized crime.

Investing in the north

Many northern fire departments rely on volunteer firefighters to provide fire suppression services to their communities. Training enhancements and new equipment will help save lives and keep property safe.

The ministry invested approximately $35 million to acquire 17 new fire trucks, lifesaving firefighting equipment and two new Mobile Live Fire Training Units (MLFTUs) that will help to better protect northern communities. New firefighting equipment will include self-contained breathing apparatuses, thermal imaging cameras and other essential equipment to tackle fires.

Funding for the new fire trucks and firefighting equipment will be delivered through the Northern Fire Protection Program (NFPP), which provides assistance and support for fire protection services in 47 communities that rely on more than 800 volunteer firefighters. NFPP fire departments protect more than 34,400 permanent residents in unincorporated parts of Ontario and respond to approximately 1,000 emergency calls per year.

MLFTUs help the Ontario Fire College deliver high-quality, hands-on training to fire services that help firefighters prepare for real life scenarios. These modern mobile units can be transported to a local fire station and simulate real situations. During mobile unit training, firefighters experience flames, extreme heat, high humidity, thick smoke and severely restricted visibility.

Building correctional facilities for the future

Building a modern adult correctional system while enhancing working conditions for staff.

In Thunder Bay, Ontario construction continues on a new $1.2 billion state-of-the-art adult correctional complex that will add capacity to our provincial system while also continuing access to programs for those incarcerated.

The new 345-bed, multi-purpose facility will create valuable added space for programming and expanded services for inmates with mental health issues. The complex will provide a healthy environment for staff and those in custody with innovative design features and culturally representative spaces such as smudging spaces, a sweat lodge and a teaching lodge.

As part of infrastructure renewal in the Northern region, the ministry has also completed two modular expansion projects at the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre and Kenora Jail to increase capacity. These expanded spaces have increased access for people in custody to literacy programs, skills development and technology programming to support safe community reintegration. The Thunder Bay modular expansion will be incorporated into the new correctional complex when it opens in fall 2026.

Modular correctional facilities are a safe, secure and cost-effective approach for adding critical space and enhancing modernized programming spaces at existing facilities.

The ministry is also building and modernizing correctional services in Eastern Ontario to add capacity, deliver improved educational and cultural programs for inmates and better respond to the mental health needs of those in our custody.

The construction of a new Eastern Ontario Correctional Complex will help provide updated facilities, increased capacity and new spaces for the delivery of mental health services, inmate programming and staff training.

In addition, the ministry is moving forward with replacing the Brockville Jail, which opened in 1842 and is Ontario’s oldest, with a new correctional complex on the grounds of the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre. The St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre will be expanded with a dedicated unit for female inmates. The centre already partners with the Royal Ottawa Hospital, one of Canada’s foremost mental health centres, to deliver secure treatment and rehabilitative programs for male inmates with severe mental health issues.

The Quinte Detention Centre will also be expanded to provide significantly more space for inmate programming and recreational facilities. The expansion will also include a dedicated female living space including yard access.

These capital projects build on the ministry’s strategy to invest more than $500 million to ensure the long-term sustainability of the correctional system by enhancing adult correctional institutions, hiring additional correctional officers, medical and other wellness support staff and upgrading ageing facilities.

Creating a modern justice framework

The government is building a modern and responsive justice sector for the 21^st century. In 2023–24 the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of the Solicitor General supported this critical work by introducing legislation to update existing public safety laws while establishing frameworks to develop new legislative and regulatory tools to keep the people of Ontario safe.

The ministry alongside its justice partner, the Ministry of the Attorney General, introduced the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023 and the Enhancing Access to Justice Act, 2024 to improve access to justice for Ontarians by modernizing processes and introducing amendments to public safety legislation.

The Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023 is building safer communities by transforming other community safety legislation, including strengthening animal welfare enforcement, amending the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 to improve oversight and enable future health and forensic testing by amending the Coroners Act to expand the collection of tissue samples.

The act also included critical and operationally important statutes necessary to bring the ministry’s Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA) into force. The nature of policing and community safety has significantly changed in the past 30 years and there were increased calls to update Ontario’s approach to policing. The CSPA is about modernizing the province’s policing and community safety framework to address these important challenges. The act came into force on April 1, 2024.

The Enhancing Access to Justice Act, 2024 included amendments to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 to develop a new mechanism to strengthen enforcement of and compliance with fire safety requirements. It also included amendments to the Coroners Act to improve the timeliness of construction-related accidental death investigations.

Changes to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 enhance enforcement and compliance efforts by enabling future development of an administrative monetary penalty (AMP) framework. AMPs are an efficient way of promoting compliance without requiring a Court prosecution. Once in place, the framework will allow for the use of AMPs as a progressive enforcement tool that could be imposed upon tenants, owners and corporations in contravention of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 and its regulations such as the Ontario Fire Code.

Changes to the Coroners Act will allow for faster and more meaningful inquest recommendations for construction-related deaths and strengthen the investigation of construction workers who are accidentally killed on the job. This will lead to a broader, systemic examination of safety issues in construction and produce sector-relevant workplace safety recommendations in a timelier manner.

Key performance indicators

Outcome: Reduction in the incidence of violent crime

Indicator: Violent Crime Severity Index (Ontario)

Note: The Violent Crime Severity Index is reported by Statistics Canada (Table: 35-10-0026-01, formerly CANSIM 252-0052). The Violent Crime Severity Index is calculated by multiplying the number of violent crime offences by the weight for that offence, summing them up and then dividing by the population. The Violent Crime Severity Index includes all Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR2) violent violations, some of which were not previously included in the aggregate violent crime category, including uttering threats, criminal harassment and forcible confinement.

Outcome: Improve conditions of infrastructure in correctional facilities

Indicator: Facility Condition Index

Note: The Facility Condition Index is a comparative industry benchmark used to indicate the relative investment need of an asset, or group of assets, expressed as a ratio of the cost of remedying the existing deficiencies to the current replacement value of the asset(s). Facility Condition Index = Renewals & Repairs over three years / Total estimated cost to replace the existing asset with an asset of equivalent utility (i.e., (Current Need + Planning Year 1 + Planning Year 2) / Current Replacement Value). Values provided by the Ministry of Infrastructure Leasehold Asset Management Plan Assessment Data.

Outcome: Ontario is prepared for emergencies and natural disasters

Indicator: Violent Crime Severity Index (Ontario)

Note: The calculation of compliance rate is based on calendar year (CY). However, please note the time lag. For example, the 2022 CY compliance rate result will be made available by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) in late winter of 2023. Ministries complete the emergency management legislated requirements throughout each calendar year and then submit to EMO for assessment in mid-January the following year. EMO conducts the review of each submission and then notifies the ministry of their assessment.