Crime in Toronto - Late 1980s and Early 1990s

Late 1980s and Early 1990s

In the late 1980s, gangs in Toronto were becoming increasingly violent. This coincided with the arrival of crack cocaine in the city, which caused more gun violence to occur in low-income neighbourhoods. At the same time, Toronto police were under scrutiny for a series of shootings of unarmed Black men, beginning in 1988. In 1991, Toronto experienced its most violent year with 89 murders, 16 of which were linked to drug wars involving rival gangs.

On May 4, 1992, there were riots on Yonge Street, which followed peaceful protesting of a fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by Toronto police (the eighth such shooting in the last four years, and fourth fatal one). Later that year, local activist Dudley Laws claimed that police bias against blacks was worse in Toronto than in Los Angeles.