In communities across Canada, the need to address women and gender-based violence, particularly femicide, has become increasingly urgent. Defined as the killing of women and girls because of their gender, femicide is a term long used by advocates and experts. Yet only in recent years has it gained formal recognition in the Canadian public safety realm.

The London Police Services Board (LPSB) was the first police governance body in Ontario to formally recognize femicide as a distinct issue requiring targeted action. In 2022, the Board passed a series of motions calling on the federal government to define femicide in the Criminal Code of Canada and to explore its classification as a hate-motivated crime. It also directed the Chief of Police to incorporate gender-based motivation into local investigative procedures, policy, and annual reporting.

By explicitly naming femicide, the Board reinforced what experts have long known: these killings are not isolated acts and are rooted in patterns of intimate partner violence, systemic inequality, and gender-based hate. The Board’s early leadership helped shape a broader movement in Ontario and beyond, prompting discussion, policy change, and collaboration among police boards, services, and municipalities.

That leadership continued in 2024, when the Board advanced a new set of recommendations reaffirming its commitment to addressing femicide. These included advocating for the release of victim names where appropriate, encouraging consistent use of the term ‘femicide’ in police communications and reports, and pushing for a coordinated provincial response informed by inquest recommendations and frontline realities.

At the same time, the London Police Service has deepened its operational approach through targeted strategies. In the 2024 Performance Metrics Report, Chief Truong outlines the following new initiatives for Violence Against Women and Girls, launched in 2023 and 2024:

• Partnership with Atlohsa Family Healing Services (2023)
• Rights and Responsibilities Awareness Initiative (2023)
• LPS Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Femicide Strategy (2024)
• Community Table for Prevention of Femicide (2024)
• IPV Presentations – IPVU members present on domestic violence to hospital staff and community groups, including the Muslim Resource Centre (2024)
• 24-hour investigative coverage for gender-based violence investigations (2024 partial rollout)

The LPS Strategy on Intimate Partner Violence and Femicide outlines five key areas of focus:

• A new service delivery model to enhance investigative quality and 24/7 frontline support for IPV cases;
• Increased training in trauma-informed, risk-based approaches;
• Improved data collection and demographic tracking;
• Clearer internal and external use of the term ‘femicide’; and
• Strengthened partnerships with all levels of government and local community stakeholders.

Link read the full IPV Strategy report (Report #2409EA04)

A Broader Shift in Police Governance

Other jurisdictions have now followed suit. In 2025, the Peel Police Services Board and Peel Regional Police issued a joint letter to provincial officials calling for stronger reforms to address intimate partner violence and the growing crisis of repeat offenders. Peel Region, where six women were killed in the first half of 2023, has since declared IPV a public health epidemic and integrated femicide language into awareness campaigns and service delivery.

In Ottawa, police described a woman’s death as a femicide for the first time in 2023, signaling a shift in operational language that reflects growing awareness within law enforcement circles. Mississauga and other Ontario cities have also passed motions calling for systemic reform and recognition of femicide in law and policy.

The Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB) has publicly supported coordinated efforts in this space, and police boards across the province continue to explore how they can contribute to prevention, data transparency, and public education.

Ongoing Commitment, Collective Impact

As more police boards, services, and municipalities align on this issue naming femicide is beyond the symbolic. It supports improved reporting, stronger data, and more effective intervention. It acknowledges the lived realities behind the statistics. And most importantly, it signals a commitment to preventing further violence.

The London Police Services Board is proud to be part of this evolving, collaborative effort centering victim dignity, community safety, and systemic change.