Toronto's Supervised Consumption Sites and Local Crime.

Abstract

Beginning in August 2017, 9 overdose prevention sites and supervised consumption sites (OPS/SCS) began operating in Toronto, Canada. Following years of community pushback stating that these sites increased local crime and disorder, they were closed in March 2025. To examine the association between OPS/SCS and local crime and disorder. This ecological cohort study used Toronto Police Service data to compare crime incidence before and after OPS/SCS implementation using an interrupted time series study design. Analysis was restricted to crimes that occurred within city boundaries between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2025. The study used monthly event counts of all assaults, auto thefts, break and enters, robberies, thefts over $5000, bicycle thefts, and thefts from motor vehicles as the 7 outcomes. Incidence within 400 m of the geolocation of each OPS/SCS before and after implementation were compared and results were pooled for population-level estimates. Within 400 m (approximately a quarter mile), OPS/SCS implementation was associated with increases in break and enters (49.88%; 95% CI, 27.03% to 76.84%), and to a lesser extent, thefts from motor vehicles (20.03%; 95% CI, -0.63% to 44.99%). However, monthly trends for break and enters (-1.19%; 95% CI, -1.71% to -0.68%), robberies (-1.32%; 95% CI, -1.93% to -0.70%), thefts over $5000 (-1.48%; 95% CI, -2.45% to -0.50%), bicycle thefts (-1.82%; 95% CI, -2.93% to -0.68%), and thefts from motor vehicles (-1.30%; 95% CI, -2.18% to -0.42%) declined. Site-specific results revealed some OPS/SCS were associated with increases in crime while most were not. This ecological cohort study found that the association between Toronto's OPS/SCS and crime was generally neutral to beneficial. OPS/SCS were associated with increases in break and enters, and to a lesser extent thefts from motor vehicles, immediately postimplementation. Incidents of crimes declined with time.