York Regional Police continues to operate command post at Promenade Shopping Centre in Thornhill

Officers will engage community members, take reports amid violence in the Middle East

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 18, 2023
Laura Broadley

Officers with the York Regional Police will continue to operate a command centre at Promenade Shopping Centre in Thornhill to engage citizens, take reports and discuss community concerns.

The command post, which will remain operational until at least Oct. 23, was set up last week in light of security concerns expressed by community members as a result of the violence in the Middle East. It is located at 1 Promenade Cir. and is staffed each day between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Representatives from Victim Services of York Region will also be available during command post hours, police said.

YRP, in co-ordination with federal and provincial partners, has not identified a credible threat within York Region at this time.

Police are “actively monitoring” the situation and will be have additional patrols to increase police visibility around synagogues and mosques, faith-based locations and institutions, community centres, faith-based education facilities and other local gathering places, police said.

“There is zero tolerance for incidents motivated by hate in our community. We will thoroughly investigate any reports of hate-motivated offences, incidents or acts. If you witness or have been the victim of a hate crime or hate/bias incident, report it to York Regional Police immediately,” YRP said.

Police are asking the public to email demonstrations@yrp.ca if they learn about possible demonstrations or other large gatherings happening in York Region.

A dedicated YRP webpage has been created to convey safety messaging and will be updated as new information is received. It contains information on police activity, how to report a crime and other safety tips.

If there’s an emergency, call 911. For other incidents, call YRP’s non-emergency line at 1-866-876- 5423. For more information, please visit yrp.ca.