Mississauga, ON – Police leaders from across the Greater Toronto Area gathered in Mississauga this week for the Victims and Survivors Symposium, a landmark event aimed at addressing the risks posed by violent and repeat offenders and the urgent need for bail reform in Ontario.
The symposium, hosted at the Hilton Hotel in north Mississauga, brought together more than 250 participants, including victims, survivors, community partners, advocates, and law enforcement officials. The event was co-hosted by Peel Regional Police in partnership with the Peel Police Services Board and community organizations such as Safe Centre of Peel, Our Place Peel, Victim Services of Peel, and EFry.
Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah underscored the need for immediate changes to the bail system, emphasizing that gaps in current laws continue to put the public at risk.
“Our current bail system has critical gaps that allow repeated violence to persist, putting the safety of our communities at risk,” said Chief Duraiappah. “We remain committed to listening to and advocating for victims and survivors, and to working with all levels of government to drive meaningful change, ensuring access to proper supports and services and breaking the cycle of crime.”
Police chiefs from Durham, Halton, and York Regions echoed these calls, noting that offenders with multiple bail violations are too often released back into communities, enabling further harm.
- Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira stressed that “meaningful bail reform” must put victims first while holding offenders accountable.
- Halton Police Chief Stephen J. Tanner called the current system a “catch-and-release cycle” that has made communities less safe, saying “the need to break the cycle of crime has never been greater.”
- York Police Chief Jim MacSween highlighted the power of survivors’ voices at the symposium, adding that “bail reform is at the forefront of our efforts to break the cycle of repeat offences and strengthen community safety.”
The symposium also featured survivors sharing their lived experiences of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, home invasions, and homicide. Discussions explored both the immediate and long-term impacts of crime, while also pointing to systemic funding gaps and service shortfalls that create barriers to community safety.
For Peel Police, the event continues a broader campaign to spotlight what they describe as long-standing “systemic gaps” in the justice system. Earlier this summer, the force arrested a dozen suspects connected to 17 violent home invasions and jewelry store robberies across the GTA. Many of those charged were repeat offenders already on bail.
Deputy Mayor Matt Mahoney of Mississauga, who has spoken out about the impact of violent crimes on families, said these issues strike “in the most personal and terrifying way.”
Police leaders confirmed that they have submitted formal recommendations to senior levels of government, calling for legislative changes to strengthen bail laws, better support victims, and reduce the risks posed by repeat violent offenders.
“This symposium represents a united voice from law enforcement and the community: victims and survivors must come first, and our bail system must be reformed to ensure that violent offenders stay behind bars,” said Chief Duraiappah.