Toronto police enhanced a bail tracking app with provincial funds, enabling faster, broader compliance checks to improve public safety and reduce jail overcapacity.
Toronto Police Enhance Bail Monitoring with Tech Overhaul
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is transforming how officers monitor individuals out on bail, thanks to a $2.4 million provincial grant aimed at strengthening bail enforcement. Since 2019, TPS has used a custom-built bail compliance dashboard, a digital tool designed to centralize data on bail conditions, sureties, and addresses. Originally focused on firearms-related charges, the tool is now expanding its scope. With funding from the Ontario government that began in 2023, the upgraded app supports monitoring of suspects in carjackings, home invasions, and human trafficking.
Funding Sparks New Era of Bail Enforcement
The funding, part of Ontario’s $112 million investment in bail compliance reforms, is being deployed over three years. It enables faster data integration from the courts, improved tracking of high-risk individuals, and a reduction in administrative workload for officers. The project, known as Project Aware, is being led by TPS in partnership with Durham Regional Police and managed provincially by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). According to Craig Lawrie, Project Aware lead at TPS, “We’re getting court data faster, it’s more accurate, and we’re reducing administrative burdens so officers can focus on enforcement.”
Compliance Checks Surge with Dashboard Use
The results are already visible. In 2024, Toronto police conducted 200% more bail compliance checks compared to the app’s early years. Officers performed 2,718 more checks than in 2023. With over 1,200 individuals currently being monitored through the dashboard—714 for firearms offences and nearly 500 for other serious crimes—the scope of supervision is growing. Det. Sgt. Andrew Steinwall, who leads the bail enforcement unit, says the tool is “the greatest asset we have for ensuring compliance in the field,” replacing outdated systems like spreadsheets and printed mug shots.
Growing Adoption Across Ontario
The app’s effectiveness has led to its adoption by 16 police services across Ontario, with the rest of the province expected to join soon. Together, they are monitoring over 2,730 individuals, a significant increase from 1,650 just two years ago. The unified system provides a province-wide picture of who is on bail and for what charges. The OPP continues to onboard new departments weekly, helping build a networked approach to bail enforcement.
Legal Community Backs Enforcement Over Reform
Toronto criminal defence lawyer Alison Craig sees the initiative as a meaningful alternative to legislative bail reform. “If the public is aware that compliance is being taken seriously, it may lead to more people getting bail—helping with overcrowded jails,” she said. Data from Statistics Canada shows that 80% of Ontario’s jail population in 2022–23 consisted of individuals awaiting trial. Craig supports more proactive enforcement, saying it can improve public trust without changing existing bail laws.
Building Better Tracking Systems for the Future
Toronto police acknowledge gaps in their ability to track bail violations and recidivism. But that, too, is changing. Lawrie notes that new processes are in place to gather and analyze this data by the end of the grant period in March 2026. TPS aims to scale these methods to other jurisdictions. With a target of 2,900 monitored individuals by March 2026, TPS is close—just under 200 away. However, Lawrie stresses that the focus remains on accurate, real-time data rather than just numbers.“Until we’re confident officers have the right tools and information in the field, we won’t expand further,” he said.
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