A few days ago, my family and I were heading home from being out at someone’s house for dinner when our vehicle was randomly attacked. I stopped for gas not far from home while my wife and kids stayed in the minivan. As I finished with the gas and began washing the front windshield, I noticed a man yelling and screaming on the sidewalk nearby. In Toronto, this kind of behavior from troubled individuals is common, so I didn’t pay much attention. However, I became fully aware of the man when I saw him approaching me. I quickly got back in the van, but he kept coming towards us.
The man made eye contact with me through the windshield and started yelling abusive words. Although I knew my family was safe with the windows up and the doors locked, I became more concerned when he started aggressively attacking our vehicle by hitting and smacking it. I was worried about hitting him if I drove away quickly, as I had experienced instances of people jumping out in front of cars on this street before. Eventually, I drove away slowly, and the man began chasing after us. Thankfully, he gave up and returned to the sidewalk when we got further away.
While nothing significant happened during this incident, it is indicative of a growing trend of similar occurrences in our community. These incidents are becoming more frequent and intense. People on social media shared their own recent experiences of being chased, having things thrown at them, or being physically assaulted by troubled individuals. This kind of behavior used to be mostly restricted to downtown areas, but now it’s happening in the east end where I live. We are witnessing an increase in mentally ill individuals wandering around and an abundance of needles in our local park, which used to be primarily a downtown concern.
When I shared my story, others reached out to share their similar experiences and express their belief that the situation is deteriorating. Unfortunately, calling the police for assistance often proves futile, as the individuals are usually released shortly after being taken to the hospital. They continue to pose a threat to the community, with encounters occurring again in the same week or even the same night.
While public policy solutions are necessary, it is equally important to share our stories and raise awareness of what is happening in our streets and communities. Before we can address the root causes and find effective solutions, we must acknowledge that there is a problem and that it is worsening.