A registry launched by Toronto police to support vulnerable people is no longer.
Toronto Police Service’s (TPS) Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) has been discontinued as of today. Any existing records will be kept for up to one year before being disposed of, they said.
Established in 2019, it was created with the “goal of providing officers with information that could help them safely and effectively interact with vulnerable community members,” Nadine Ramadan, a spokesperson for Toronto Police Service (TPS), told CP24 in a written statement.
The registry was used when vulnerable people got lost, went missing, or experienced a medical or other type of crisis. The idea was that information provided to authorities in advance would be readily available to lean on in the event of an emergency situation.
VPR did not ‘work as effectively as intended’: police
Ramadan said over the years, however, internal reviews found that the registry did not “work as effectively as intended.”
“Participation remained limited, and the information was not always available early enough in the call response to assist responding officers,” she said.
“The decision to end the Vulnerable Persons Registry reflects the availability of more effective tools and approaches that provide broader reach, more timely information, and greater benefits to the communities we serve.”
The media officer pointed to RapidSOS’s Safety Network tool, which she said allows their communications operators and the service’s operations centre to access vulnerable persons’ important medical information faster.
“This helps better inform response and decision-making and reduces the need for a separate TPS VPR,” Ramadan said, pointing to a number of other voluntary options that vulnerable individuals and their supporters can choose from to share emergency information, including Apple Medical ID or Android Emergency settings, Information for caregivers, and MedicAlert.
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Despite shutting down this service for good, she said Toronto police remain “committed to ensuring first responders have access to information that helps them support vulnerable people.”
A 2024 investigation by Ombudsman Toronto found that TPS communications failures as well as poor management resulted in a low number of registrations from the individuals the registry aimed to support.
Ramadan said those findings helped “inform” their decision to discontinue to the registry as well as next steps.
“We have kept the ombudsman updated on our progress and are incorporating their recommendations into our plans to ensure clear, effective communication as we transition to newer technology,” she said.
‘Several issues’ with registry: Ombudsman
In a statement provided to CP24, Toronto’s Ombudsman Kwame Addo said his 2024 investigation into Toronto Police Service’s VPR found “several issues.”
“First, the police did not provide enough information for the public to decide whether they wanted to use it. They also did not invest in promotion or awareness-raising after the initial launch,” he said.
“No one person or unit within the police took responsibility for it. Finally, there was a lack of awareness among police staff about the registry.”
In response to the 69-page report’s 13 recommendations, Addo said TPS has agreed to ensure “any new systems or supports it adopts come with clear, accurate information about their purposes, how to register and how registrants’ information will be stored and accessed by police staff.”
Toronto police have not said if they intend to introduce a new program to replace the VPR.
‘Important resource’
Dave Spedding is the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, which serves about 15,000 of the 50,000 people in the city who are living with dementia.
He said four out of 10 people experiencing loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities in Canada wander. Further, a person living with dementia is 2.5 times more likely to go missing than someone without the condition, Spedding added.
During an recent interview with CP24, he said Toronto police’s Vulnerable Persons Registry was an “important resource” used by many of his organization’s clients and their caregivers.
Spedding said the VPR was especially appealing as it was a free, low-barrier tool anyone could use. The loss of this program means there’s “one less asset” available to serve this vulnerable segment of the population, he said.
He shared that he’s aware of roughly 3,000 users who were advised by email in early September that it was being shut down.
Spedding said his organization is urging clients to visit their website and access their ‘Finding Your Way’ program, which collects information that can be shared with emergency responders in the event a loved one with dementia goes missing.
“Preparation is key. … Information is power,” he said.
“Nothing is perfect but the more you’re prepared for this situation, the better you’ll be should a person get lost.”
Toronto police, meanwhile, are reminding people that they should to call 9-1-1 immediately if someone is in immediate danger, needs urgent medical help, or is missing and may be at risk.
