Vaughan fights crime

Mayor Del Duca and Deputy Mayor Jackson to request funding for more crime-fighting cameras for Vaughan

Mayor Steven Del Duca and Deputy Mayor Linda Jackson are taking strong action to fight crime and help York Regional Police (YRP) get the criminals off our streets and behind bars where they belong.

Mayor Steven Del Duca and Deputy Mayor Linda Jackson announced they are bringing forward a joint Members’ Resolution to the Tuesday, Oct. 21 Committee of the Whole (2) meeting to request funding for up to 10 crime-fighting Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras for Vaughan to keep residents safe.

YRP Deputy Chief Paulo Da Silva was on site at today’s announcement at Vellore Village Community Centre. YRP has identified crime and violence as persistent challenges within Vaughan, and traditional policing methods have limitations in responding to and collecting evidence quickly. These crime-fighting cameras, monitored and operated by YRP, utilize new Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to capture the license plates of stolen vehicles. The City is also investing in gunshot detection technology to be deployed by YRP in identified areas that will make it easier to detect when a gunshot has been fired.

These are both effective tools for fighting crime and providing valuable evidence to help catch the criminals that are victimizing too many of Vaughan’s residents. 

If the Members’ Resolution is approved by Council, York Regional Police has identified the first six locations for the installation of new crime-fighting CCTV cameras:

 

• Highway 427/Major Mackenzie Drive
• Highway 27/Highway 7
• Weston Road and Rutherford Road
• Weston Road/Major Mackenzie Drive
• Keele Street/Highway 7
• Bathurst Street/Highway 7

The cost of purchasing them would come from the City’s 2026 Budget.

These new cameras are the City’s contribution over and above YRP’s announcement on Sept. 22 that, through the Ontario CCTV Grant Program, the Ontario government is investing $255,000 to help YRP expand its video surveillance systems and better protect the community against crime. With this funding, YRP will be adding 22 CCTV cameras in York Region, including eight in Vaughan. In 2023, the YRP Service Board approved the use of 10 CCTV cameras in public spaces across York Region, three of which are located in Vaughan. If additional cameras are approved, Vaughan will have a total of 25 CCTV cameras across the city. 

The City continues to work collaboratively with YRP and all levels of government to ensure a safe, inclusive and welcoming community for all.

QUOTES

“Vaughan has always been a safe community, but too many of our residents have told me directly that they’re anxious and afraid because they’ve seen more criminal activity. This is completely unacceptable to me and I will do everything I can to keep our residents safe. That’s why Deputy Mayor Jackson and I are taking unprecedented action to ask the City to fund more crime-fighting cameras. At the same time, I will keep pushing the federal government for real bail reform and a strengthening of our criminal justice system. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to get the criminals off our streets and behind bars where they belong.”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

“The recent crime we’ve seen in Vaughan is unacceptable. As a City, it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to help prevent it and ensure our residents can feel safe when heading out into the city for the day. CCTV cameras are a valuable way to enhance public safety by making individuals who otherwise might commit a crime think again. I would like to thank both Mayor Steven Del Duca for his leadership and collaboration on this Member’s Resolution and our incredible YRP officers who work day and night to serve our community.”

- Deputy Mayor, Local and Regional Councillor Linda Jackson

 “York Regional Police has heard from community leaders and residents in Vaughan, and their message is clear: They want us to leverage CCTV technology to prevent crime, enforce the law, and keep people safe in their neighbourhoods. Thanks to the tremendous support of Mayor Del Duca and Deputy Mayor Jackson, police will be equipped with powerful new tools to detect, deter and arrest those who commit crimes, and better serve our communities.” 

- Deputy Chief Paulo Da Silva, York Regional Police

QUICK FACTS 

• On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Mayor Steven Del Duca and Deputy Mayor, Local and Regional Councillor Linda Jackson announced they are bringing forward a joint Members’ Resolution to the Tuesday, Oct. 21 Committee of the Whole (2) meeting to seek approval for more funding for more Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras for Vaughan to help fight crime and keep residents safe.
• These crime-fighting cameras, monitored and operated by YRP, utilize new ALPR technology to capture the license plates of stolen vehicles.
• If approved at a future Council meeting, the first six new crime fighting cameras will be placed in the following locations, as identified by YRP:
  • Highway 427 and Major Mackenzie Drive
  • Highway 27 and Highway 7
  • Weston Road and Rutherford Road
  • Weston Road and Major Mackenzie Drive
  • Keele Street and Highway 7
  • Bathurst Street and Highway 7
• The City is also investing in gunshot detection technology to be deployed by YRP in identified areas that will make it easier to detect when a gunshot has been fired.
• These six new cameras are the City’s contribution over and above YRP’s announcement on Sept. 22 that, through the Ontario CCTV Grant Program, the Ontario government is investing $255,000 to help YRP expand its video surveillance systems and better protect the community against crime.
• CCTV monitoring by YRP will be conducted in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s Guidelines for the Use of Video Surveillance (PDF).

LEARN MORE 

• Ontario CCTV Grant Program
• YRP’s news release: Ontario Investing to Keep York Region Safe