The
Toronto Police Service (
TPS), formerly the
Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the City of
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police unit in Canada after the
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body...
(RCMP).
Creation to 1859 reforms
The Toronto Police Service, was founded in 1834 when the City of Toronto was first created from the Town of York. (Prior to that, local able bodied male citizens were required to report for night duty as special constables for a fixed number of nights a year on the pain of fine or imprisonment in a system known as "watch and ward".)
The Toronto Police is one of the English-speaking world’s oldest modern municipal police departments; older than, for example, the legendary
New York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
which was formed in 1845 or the
Boston Police DepartmentThe Boston Police Department has the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th largest department in the United States and is one of the oldest, being created in 1838...
which was established in 1839. The London
Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
of 1829 is generally recognized as the first modern municipal department. In 1835, Toronto retained five fulltime constables—a ratio of about one officer for every 1,850 citizens. Their daily pay was set at 5 shillings for day duty and 7 shillings, 6 pence, for night duty. In 1837 the constables’ annual pay was fixed at £75 per annum, a lucrative City position when compared to the Mayor’s annual pay of £250 at the time.
From 1834 to 1859, the Toronto Police was a corrupt and notoriously political force with its constables loyal to the local aldermen who personally appointed police officers in their own wards for the duration of their incumbency. Toronto constables on numerous occasions suppressed opposition candidate meetings and took sides during bitter sectarian violence between
Orange OrderThe Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order or the Orange Lodge, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and the United States...
and Irish Catholic radical factions in the city. A Provincial Government report in 1841 described the Toronto Police as "formidable engines of oppression". Although constables were issued uniforms in 1837, one contemporary recalled that the Toronto Police was "without uniformity, except in one respect—they were uniformly slovenly." After an excessive outbreak of street violence involving Toronto Police misconduct, including an episode where constables brawled with Toronto's firemen in one incident, and stood by doing nothing in another incident while enraged firemen burned down a visiting circus when its clowns jumped a lineup at a local brothel, the entire Toronto Police force, along with its Chief, were fired in 1859.
1859 to 1900
The new force was removed from Toronto City Council jurisdiction (except for the setting of the annual budget and manpower levels) and placed under the control of a provincially mandated Board of Police Commissioners. Under its new Chief, William Stratton Prince, a former infantry captain, standardized training, hiring practices and new strict rules of discipline and professional conduct were introduced. Today's Toronto Police Service directly traces its ethos, constitutional lineage and Police Commission regulatory structure to the 1859 reforms.
In the 19th Century the Toronto Police mostly focused on the suppression of rebellion in the city particularly during the
FenianThe Fenians, both the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood , were fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic in the 19th and early 20th century. The name "Fenians" was first applied by John O'Mahony to the members of the Irish nationalist...
threats of 1860 to 1870. The Toronto Police were probably Canada's first security intelligence agency when they established a network of spies and informants throughout Canada West in 1864 to combat US Army recruiting agents attempting to induce British Army soldiers stationed in Canada to desert to serve in the Union Army in the Civil War. The Toronto Police operatives later turned to spying on the activities of the Fenians and filed reports to the Chief from as far as Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and New York City. When in December 1864, the Canada West secret frontier police was established under Stipendiary Magistrate Gilbert McMicken, some of the Toronto Police agents were reassigned to this new agency.
In 1863 the Toronto Police were also used as "Indian fighters" during the Manitoulin Island Incident when some fifty natives armed with knives forced the fishery inspector William Gibbard and a fishery operation to withdraw from unceded tribal lands on Lake Huron. Thirteen armed Toronto police officers, along with constables from Barrie, were dispatched to Manitoulin Island to assist the government in retaking the fishery operation, but were forced back when the natives advanced now armed with rifles. The police withdrew but were later reinforced and eventually arrested the entire band but not before William Gibbard was killed by unknown parties. (Sidney L. Harring
White Man's Law: Native People in Nineteenth-Century Canadian Jurisprudence Toronto: Osgood Society-University of Toronto Press, 1998. pp. 152-153)
In the 1870s, as the Fenian threat began to gradually wane and the Victorian moral reform movement gained momentum, Toronto police primarily functioned in the role of "urban missionaries" whose function it was to regulate unruly and immoral behaviour among the "lower classes". They were almost entirely focused on arresting drunks, prostitutes, disorderlies, and violators of Toronto’s ultra-strict Sunday "
blue lawA blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
".
In the days before public social services, the force functioned as a social services mega-agency. Prior the creation of the Toronto Humane Society in 1887 and the Children’s Aid Society in 1891, the police oversaw animal and child welfare, including the enforcement of child support payments. They operated the city's ambulance service and acted as the Board of Health. Police stations at the time were designed with space for the housing of homeless, as no other public agency in Toronto dealt with this problem. Shortly before the Great Depression, in 1925, the Toronto Police housed 16,500 homeless people that year.
The Toronto Police regulated street-level business: cab drivers, street vendors, corner grocers, tradesmen, rag men, junk dealers, laundry operators. Under public order provisions, the Toronto Police was responsible for the licensing and regulation of dance halls, pool halls, theatres, and later movie houses. It was responsible for censoring the content of not only theatrical performances and movies, but of all literature in the city ranging from books and magazines to posters and advertising.
The Toronto Police also suppressed
labour movementThe term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and political governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing...
s which were perceived as anarchist threats. The establishment of the mounted unit is directly related to the four-month Toronto streetcar strike of 1886, when authorities called on the Governor General's Horse Guard Regiment to assist in suppressing the strike.
20th century
As for serious criminal investigations, the Toronto Police frequently (but not always) contracted with private investigators from the
Pinkerton’s Detective AgencyThe Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, was a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton had become famous when he foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired Pinkerton...
until the 20th century when it developed its own internal investigation and intelligence capacity.
During the 1930s and 1940s, the Toronto Police under Chief
Dennis "Deny" DraperBrigadier-General Dennis Colborne Draper was the Chief Constable of the Toronto Police Department from 1928 to 1946.-Early life:Draper was born and raised in Sutton in the Brome region of Quebec...
, a retired
Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field...
and former Conservative candidate, returned to its function as an agency to suppress political dissent. Its notorious "
Red SquadRed Squads are police intelligence units that specialize in infiltrating, conducting counter-measures and gathering intelligence on political and social groups. Dating as far back as the Haymarket Riot in 1886, Red Squads became common in larger cities such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles...
" brutally dispersed demonstrations by labour unions and by unemployed and homeless people during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Suspicious of "foreigners", the police lobbied the City of Toronto to pass legislation banning public speeches in languages other than English, curtailing union organization among Toronto's vast immigrant populations working in sweat shops.
After several scandals, including a call by Chief Draper to have reporters "shot" and his being arrested driving drunk, the City appointed in 1948 a new Police Chief from its own ranks for the first time in the department's history:
John ChisholmJohn C. Chisholm was the first Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force until he committed suicide.Chisholm's father was a lay preacher in Dundee City Prison when John was growing up, giving him an interest in criminology.He served in World War I with the artillery in Mesopotamia ...
, a very able senior police inspector. In 1955, the Metropolitan Toronto Board of Police Commissioners was formed in preparation for the amalgamation of the 13 police forces in the municipality Metropolitan Toronto into a unified police force with Chisholm as chief of the unified force. Unfortunately Chisholm was not up to the politics of the Chief's office, especially in facing off with
Fred "Big Daddy" GardinerFrederick Goldwin Gardiner, QC , LL.D was the first chairman of Metropolitan Toronto council, the governing body for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, from 1953 to 1961....
who engineered almost single-handedly the formation of
Metropolitan TorontoThe Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was the senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
in the 1950s. As the Toronto City Police absorbed the surrounding police departments and grew in size and complexity, Chisholm found himself unable to manage the huge agency and its Byzantine politics. In 1958, after a number of conflicts with Gardiner and members of the newly expanded
Metropolitan Toronto Board of Police CommissionersThe Toronto Police Services Board is the civilian oversight of the Toronto Police Service. It was called the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board from 1990 until 1998 and the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission from 1955 until 1990 when the name of the body was changed as a result of...
, Chief Chisholm drove to High Park on the city's west end, parked his car and committed suicide with his service revolver. The late Staff Superintendent
Jack WebsterJack Webster , nicknamed Copper Jack, was a leading police officer, administrator and police historian in Toronto, Canada.Webster was born in Toronto to an immigrant family from Scotland...
, one of the officers who arrived at the scene of the Chief's death and who would upon his retirement in the 1990s become the Force Historian at the Toronto Police Museum, would later write, "Suicide is a constant partner in every police car."
With the creation of
Metro TorontoThe Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was the senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
in 1954, the Toronto Police was eventually merged on January 1, 1957 with the other municipal forces to form the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force:
| Former Police Force |
Current Community |
Field |
Division(s) |
| Scarborough Police Department |
ScarboroughScarborough is the area that forms the eastern part of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named by Elizabeth Simcoe in 1796 who was inspired by the Scarborough Bluffs which reminded her of the white cliffs near her home in England. Initially a collection of rural villages it has grown...
|
Area |
41, 42, 43 |
| Etobicoke Police Department |
Etobicoke |
Area |
22, 23 |
| North York Police Department |
North York |
Area; parts of Central |
31, 32, 33; parts of 12, 13, 53 |
| East York Police Department |
East York East York was formerly a semi-autonomous borough within the overall municipality of Metropolitan Toronto before East York, North York, York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and Toronto were amalgamated into the new "megacity" of Toronto in 1998...
|
Central |
54 |
| Mimico Police Department |
Etobicoke (MimicoThe former Town of Mimico is a neighbourhood in the south-west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-east of the former Township of Etobicoke and was an independent municipality from 1911 to 1967, the oldest of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities'...
) |
Area |
22 |
| Weston Police Department |
YorkYork is a community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form the current city of Toronto. Its population, as of the 2001 census, was 150,255, the second smallest of the six former municipalities, yet it is one of the...
(Weston, Ontario) |
Area and Central |
12, 31 |
| Forest Hill Police Department |
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
(Forest Hill, Ontario) |
Central |
53 |
| Town of Leaside Police Department |
East York East York was formerly a semi-autonomous borough within the overall municipality of Metropolitan Toronto before East York, North York, York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and Toronto were amalgamated into the new "megacity" of Toronto in 1998...
(Leaside, Ontario) |
Central |
53, 54 |
| York Township Police Department |
YorkYork is a community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form the current city of Toronto. Its population, as of the 2001 census, was 150,255, the second smallest of the six former municipalities, yet it is one of the...
|
Central |
13 |
| New Toronto Police Department |
Etobicoke (New Toronto, Ontario) |
Area |
22 |
| Swansea Police Department |
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
(Swansea, Ontario) |
Central |
11 |
| Long Branch Police Department |
Etobicoke (Long Branch, Ontario) |
Area |
22 |
In November 1995, the agency was renamed the Metropolitan Toronto Police Service
http://www.torontopoliceboard.on.ca/minutes/1997/october.doc which in turn, in 1998, became the Toronto Police Service after the amalgamation of the former municipalities of Metro Toronto.
21st century
Today, the Toronto Police Service is responsible for overall local police service in Toronto and works with the other emergency services (
Toronto EMSToronto Emergency Medical Services is the statutory Emergency medical services provider for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated directly as a branch of the municipal government as an independent, third-service option provider, which means that the service is funded by...
(TEMS) and
Toronto Fire ServicesThe Toronto Fire Services is part of the Emergency Services that respond to 911 calls in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The Toronto Fire Services is responsible for responding to fires, rescue and assisting with medical situations within the City of Toronto...
(TFS)) and other police forces in the GTA including:
- York Regional Police
York Regional Police serves over 930,000 residents in the York Region, Ontario, Canada, located north of Toronto. The YRP was formed in 1971 from the amalgamation of local forces and the local governments of Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Vaughan, etc...-History:York Regional Police was...
- Peel Regional Police
The Peel Regional Police provides police services for Peel Region in Ontario, Canada. As of 2005, it is the second largest municipal police service in Ontario after the Toronto Police Service and third largest municipal force in Canada with 1,700 uniformed members and close to 600 support...
- Durham Regional Police Service
- Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the largest deployed police force in Ontario and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body...
For most of 2005, the
police unionThe Toronto Police Association , founded in 1944, is a labour organization representing the approximately 5,500 uniformed and 2,500 civilian members of the Toronto Police Service in Toronto, Canada...
and the
Toronto Police Services BoardThe Toronto Police Services Board is the civilian oversight of the Toronto Police Service. It was called the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board from 1990 until 1998 and the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission from 1955 until 1990 when the name of the body was changed as a result of...
(the civilian governing body) were involved in lengthy contract negotiations. The rank and file had been without a contract since the end of 2004, and conducted a
work-to-ruleWork-to-rule is an industrial action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of a workplace, and follow safety or other regulations to the letter in order to cause a slowdown rather than to serve their purpose. This is considered less disruptive than a strike or...
campaign in the fall of 2005. The police force is an essential public service and are legally prohibited from
strikingStrike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became important in factories and mines...
.
Controversies and allegations of misconduct
A mandatory Coroner's Inquest took place into the police killing of 17-year-old Jeffrey Reodica. Although accounts differ, it is generally accepted that Reodica was part of a group of
FilipinoThe Filipino people are the nationals of the Republic of the Philippines and to persons having Filipino ancestry. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines and about 11 million outside the Philippines....
teenagers pursuing a group of white teenagers on May 21 2004, following altercations between the two groups. Plainclothes Toronto police officer Det.-Const. Dan Belanger and his partner Det. Allen Love were in the process of arresting Reodica. Belanger then shot Reodica three times in the back with no reason. The teen died in hospital three days later.
In response to the recommendations of the Coroner's Inquest jury, Chief Blair recommended that all plainclothes police officers be issued arm bands and raid jackets bearing the word 'Police' in an effort to increase their visibility in critical situations. Unmarked cars, which are already equipped with a plug-in police light, will also be supplied with additional emergency equipment, including a siren package. The proposals will be phased in over three years beginning in 2008. Undercover officers will also have to wear, carry or have access to standard police use-of-force options such as pepper spray and batons.
In 2004, eight people were shot by Toronto police, and six of them died from their wounds. The
Special Investigations UnitThe Special Investigations Unit of Ontario, Canada, is a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU is dedicated to maintaining one law, ensuring equal justice...
(SIU) investigated each shooting, but found all of them to be justified.
In 2005, the police force was faced with a spike in shootings across Toronto and increased concern among residents. Police Chief William Blair and Mayor David Miller asked for additional resources and asked for diligence from residents to contend with this issue. Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuintyDalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician and, since October 23, 2003, premier of the Canadian province of Ontario...
promised to work with Toronto to fight crime.
In July 2007, Toronto Police were involved in an international incident in which their members
pepper-sprayPepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears.Although considered a less lethal agent,...
ed,
taserA Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and device's mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
ed, and handcuffed members of the Chilean national soccer team in an attempt to keep control of crowds after their semi-final match in the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. A police spokesman explained on
CBC RadioCBC Radio is the radio division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The division operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language networks....
on the programme
Here and Now that police took action against individual members of the Chilean team when they "displayed aggressive behaviour" by vandalizing a bus and arguing with fans. The actions of the police were criticised by the TV and print media in
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and initially also in Canada, but following a news conference and more detailed description of behaviour by the Chilean team the criticism (outside of Chile) was withdrawn. FIFA president
Sepp BlatterJoseph "Sepp" Blatter is the eighth and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding Dr...
later apologized to the Toronto mayor for the incident, and instigated disciplinary action against the officials and players of the Chilean team.
Funding
As a division of the municipal government of Toronto, the Toronto Police Service's annual funding level is established by a vote of the
Toronto City CouncilThe Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
in favour of the year's proposed budget. Provided below are historical gross and net funding levels of the TPS as a part of the city's operating budgets.
| Toronto Police Service funding as per municipal operating budgets |
| Year |
Gross Amount |
% of Year's Gross Budget |
Net Amount |
% of Year's Net Budget |
| 1999 The budget of the municipal government of Toronto, 1999 was approved in that year by the Toronto City Council. The following are gross and net figures in Canadian dollars from the operating budget . A figure in brackets denotes a surplus instead of a loss. All revenue figures have...
|
$540,978,000 |
9.7% |
$522,900,000 |
20.3% |
| 2004 The budget of the municipal government of Toronto, 2004 was approved in that year by the Toronto City Council. The following are gross and net figures in Canadian dollars from the operating budget . A figure in brackets denotes a surplus instead of a loss. All figures have been...
|
$707,573,000 |
10.6% |
$679,112,000 |
23.3% |
Chiefs of Police
The
chief of policeA Chief of Police, also known as Police Chief or sometimes shortened to just Chief is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Police Commissioner, Police Superintendent,...
is the highest-ranking officer of the Toronto Police Service (until the 1960s the position was known as
chief constableChief Constable is the title given to the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police, Civil Nuclear...
). Most chiefs have been chosen amongst the ranks of Toronto force and promoted from the ranks of deputy chief.
Toronto Police Department
- William Higgins 1834
- George Kingsmill 1835
- James Stitt 1836
- George Kingsmill 1837-1846
- George Allen 1847-1852
- Samuel Sherwood 1852-1858
- William Stratton Prince 1859-1873
- Frank C. Draper
Francis Collier Draper was born in Toronto. He was the son of William Henry Draper, Solicitor General, Chief Justice and head of the Ontario government for some years. His mother was Augusta White...
1874-1886
- H.J. Grasett 1886-1920
- Samuel J. Dickson 1920-1928
- Dennis Draper
Brigadier-General Dennis Colborne Draper was the Chief Constable of the Toronto Police Department from 1928 to 1946.-Early life:Draper was born and raised in Sutton in the Brome region of Quebec...
1928-1946
- John Chisholm
John C. Chisholm was the first Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force until he committed suicide.Chisholm's father was a lay preacher in Dundee City Prison when John was growing up, giving him an interest in criminology.He served in World War I with the artillery in Mesopotamia ...
1946-1956
Metro Toronto Police
(up to 1995), Metro Toronto Police Service
(up to 1998) and Toronto Police Service (1998 onwards)
- John Chisholm
John C. Chisholm was the first Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force until he committed suicide.Chisholm's father was a lay preacher in Dundee City Prison when John was growing up, giving him an interest in criminology.He served in World War I with the artillery in Mesopotamia ...
1957-1958 (died 1958 from suicide)
- James Page Mackey
James Page Mackey was chief of the Metropolitan Toronto Police from 1958 to 1970 and the longest-serving Toronto police chief since the creation of the amalgamated police force in 1957....
1958-1970 (died 2009)
- Harold Adamson
Harold Adamson was Chief of the Metropolitan Toronto Police in the 1970s and served as a police officer for 41 years until his retirement in 1980....
1970-1980 (died 2001)
- Jack W. Ackroyd
Jack W. Ackroyd was a prominent Canadian Chief of Police and high level Ontario civil servant. He served as the chief of the Metro Toronto Police Force from 1980 to 1984. Known as an ideas man, and 'kind cop' he introduced community policing when he was the deputy chief...
1980-1984 (died 1992)
- Jack Marks
Jack Marks was a Canadian police officer.Marks was born in Toronto and became a Toronto police officer in 1951 after military service and a career as an electrician. Marks was working a night shift on December 31 1956, when police forces across the city united to become one...
1984-1989 (died 2007)
- William J. McCormack
William J. McCormack was Chief of Police of the Metro Toronto Police from 1989 to 1995. He succeeded Jack Marks.McCormack was born in Mauritius...
1989-1995
- David Boothby
David Boothby was last Chief of Police of the Metro Toronto Police 1995-1997, and first Chief of the Toronto Police Service, from 1998 to 2000....
1995-2000
- Julian Fantino
Julian Fantino, C.O.M., O.Ont, is the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. He was previously Toronto's Chief of Police from 2000 to 2005, and Ontario's Commissioner of Emergency Management from 2005 until 2006...
2000-2005
- Mike Boyd
Mike Boyd is a Canadian police officer, who was sworn in as Toronto's interim Chief of Police from March 1, 2005. to April 6, 2005. His appointment followed the controversial tenure of Julian Fantino, whose term as police chief was marked by both a tough approach to crime and widespread allegations...
2005
- Bill Blair
William Sterling "Bill" Blair, OOM is the current Chief of Police of Toronto, Ontario. He was appointed on April 6, 2005, and assumed his duties on April 26. He took over from interim chief Mike Boyd, who had served for just over a month following the end of Julian Fantino's contract.Blair joined...
2005-present
The Special Investigations Unit
The actions of the Toronto Police are examined by the
Special Investigations UnitThe Special Investigations Unit of Ontario, Canada, is a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU is dedicated to maintaining one law, ensuring equal justice...
, a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU is dedicated to maintaining one law, ensuring equal justice before the law among both the police and the public. They assure that the criminal law is applied appropriately to police conduct, as determined through independent investigations, increasing public confidence in the police services. Complaints involving police conduct that do not result in a serious injury or death must be referred to the appropriate police service or to another oversight agency, such as the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services.
Operations
Toronto Police Headquarters is on
College StreetCollege Street is a main east-west route in downtown Toronto, Canada. It branches off Dundas Street just west of Lansdowne Avenue and runs east to Yonge Street, after which it is continued by Carlton Street...
near
Bay StreetBay Street is a street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's financial district and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial industry just as Wall Street is used in the United States and The City in the United Kingdom. This is a rather recent...
in the downtown area. The former HQ at Jarvis Street was turned into a museum (and since re-located to current HQ). The current site was once home to the Toronto YMCA. The current sign in over the main entrance still reads "Metropolitan Toronto Police Headquarters" and still has the seal of
Metropolitan TorontoThe Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was the senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
, and since 2007 has the current Toronto Police Service crest.
The Toronto Police Service is divided into 2 field areas and 17 divisions (police stations or
precinctA precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
s):
Central Field Command encompasses the central portion of the City of Toronto.
- 11 Division, 209 Mavety St.
- 12 Division, 200 Trethewey Dr.
- 13 Division, 1435 Eglinton Av. W.
Eglinton Avenue is an east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in Mississauga to the west. The Toronto portion of the road runs from Kingston Road in the east to the western city limits of Mississauga, west of Highway 427....
- 14 Division, 150 Harrison St.
- 51 Division, 51 Parliament St.
- 52 Division, 255 Dundas St. W.
Dundas Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, also known interchangeably as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial street which forms a major intersection with Yonge Street where Dundas Square and the Toronto Eaton Centre are found...
- 53 Division, 75 Eglinton Av. W.
- 54 Division, 41 Cranfield Rd.
- 55 Division, 101 Coxwell Avenue.
Area Command encompasses the former Cities of North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke. It also includes portions of the cities of Toronto and York, and the Borough of East York (excluding Leaside).
- 22 Division, 3699 Bloor St. W
- 23 Division, 5230 Finch Ave. West
- 31 Division, 40 Norfinch Dr.
- 32 Division, 30 Ellerslie Av.
- 33 Division, 50 Upjohn Rd.
- 41 Division, 2222 Eglinton Av. E.
- 42 Division, 242 Milner Av. E.
- 43 Division 4331 Lawrence Ave. E near Morningside Avenue
Note: Public Safety Unit is located at 4610 Finch Avenue East next to the C.O. Bick Police College
Support units in the Toronto Police Service consists of:
Specialized Operations Command
Detective Services, 40 College St.
- Forensic Investigation Service, 2050 Jane Street. (FIS)
- Homicide Squad, 40 College St.
- Provincial ROPE Squad, 40 College St.
- Drug Squad, 40 College St. - replaced Toronto Police Service's Central Field Command Drug Squad from the 1990s
- Organized Crime Enforcement , 40 College St.
- Fraud Squad, 40 College St.
- Hold-Up Squad, 40 College St.
- Intelligence Services, 40 College St.
- Sex Crimes Unit, 40 College St.
- Guns and Gangs Unit
- replaced the Asian Crime Unit, Hate Crimes Unit
- Toronto Anti-Violence Initiative Strategy (TAVIS)
Operational Services
- Communications Services, 40 College St.
- Court Services, 40 College St.
- Prisoner Transportation Unit, 9 Hanna Avenue.
- Emergency Task Force
The Emergency Task Force ' is the tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service . It is mandated to deal with high risk situations like gun calls, hostage taking, barricaded persons, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests and warrant service, and protection details. The unit was created in...
, 300 Lesmill Rd.
- Marine, 259 Queen's Quay W.
- Mounted and Police Dog Services, 44 Beechwood Drive (1989) - Mounted Drill Unit
- 25 horses with 45 officers
- 21 officers with 17 general dogs, 4 drug dogs and 1 explosives detector dog
- Parking Enforcement, 1500 Don Mills Road.
- Public Safety and Emergency Management, 4610 Finch Avenue East
- Traffic Services, 9 Hanna Avenue.
- Transit Unit, Various TTC Locations. Supplements and assists Special Constables of the TTC Special Constable Services
The TTC Special Constable Services is the safety and security division of the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario. They are responsible for safety and security and are authorized as "Special Contables" by several GTA Police Services Boards....
Community Mobilization Unit
- Auxiliary, Volunteer and Rover Program
- Youth Programs
- Empowered Student Partnership
- Toronto Recreational Outreach Outtripping Program (TROOP)
- Public Education and Crime Eradication (PEACE) project
Policing on most 400-series highways (like King's Highways 401, 400, 427, 404) are in the jurisdiction of the
Ontario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the largest deployed police force in Ontario and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
. Toronto Police Traffic Services is responsible for patrolling on local highways (Allen Road, Don Valley Parkway, F.G. Gardiner Expressway and the Toronto section of Highway 409).
Workforce
The Toronto Police Service has approximately 5,710 uniformed officers and 2,500 civilian employees.
Its officers are among the best paid in Canada. In October 2008, the Toronto Police Service was named one of
Greater Toronto's Top EmployersGreater Toronto's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in the Greater Toronto Area. Published annually since October 2006, the designation singles out the employers in greater Toronto that lead their industries in creating forward-thinking workplaces with...
by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which was announced by the
Toronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, though its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper.
Fleet
Police cars, also known as police
cruisers are the standard equipment used by Toronto Police officers for transportation. The vehicles are numbered in regards to their division and car number. For example, 3322 represents that the vehicle is from 33 Division, and the following 22 symbolizes that the car works in Zone 2 for that Division and it is car number 2 for that zone.
e.g. 5421 would be 54 Division, zone 2, car 1.
6000 series cars belong to Traffic Services.
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|+Product list and details
|----- bgcolor=#006699
| Make/Model
| Type
| Status
| Origin
|-
| ChevroletChevrolet is a brand of automobile produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant in 1911, Chevrolet was acquired by General Motors in 1917...
CamaroThe Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors, classified as a pony car. The "F" Body owes its creation to John Delorean who wanted to build a "sport car" called "Banshee" it was much like the Chevy "vette" but for Pontiac Motor Division, after a...
| Highway Unit
| Retired
|
|-
| Chevrolet CapriceThe Chevrolet Caprice and Caprice Classic were full-sized automobiles produced by General Motors in the United States and Canada from 1965 through 1996 model years and in Mexico from 1977 through 1983....
| General police vehicle
| Retired
|
|-
| Chevrolet CavalierThe Chevrolet Cavalier, also known as the Savvy Cavy, was a compact automobile produced from 1982 to 2005 by General Motors. Built on the company's J platform, the Cavalier was one of the best-selling cars in the United States throughout its life....
| Parking Enforcement, Document Services Section
|
|
|-
| Chevrolet ImpalaThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. One of America's most successful nameplates, the early Impala became the best-selling automobile when full-sized cars dominated sales, though the name was eventually revived in 2000 for a full-size...
| General police vehicle
| retired
|
|-
| Chevrolet MalibuThe Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car produced in the United States by General Motors. It is marketed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East.-First generation 1964–1967 :...
(2001-2005)
| Community Sweeper Unit car
|
|
|-
| Chevrolet Malibu (2006)
| Parking Enforcement Unit
|
|
|-
| DodgeDodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
ChargerThe Dodge Charger is a rear-wheel drive full-size automobile built by Chrysler Group, LLC for its North American Dodge brand. The Charger name is a historic one, borne by several successful models in the past...
| (marked) General police vehicle, Traffic Services, Community Sweeper Unit
|
|
|-
| Dodge NeonThe Chrysler Neon was a compact front wheel drive car introduced in January 1994 for the 1995 model year by Chrysler Corporation's Dodge and Plymouth brands...
| Parking Enforcement, Document Services Section
|
|
|-
| Smart fortwoThe Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater car manufactured by Smart GmbH and introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. Initially named the Smart City Coupe, the fortwo has now entered its second generation, and in 2008, an all electric concept version of the model, the fortwo ed,...
| Parking Enforcement car
|
|
|-
| FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
Crown VictoriaThe Ford Crown Victoria is a rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market in the mid-1950s. Its current incarnation has been in production since 1992 at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant....
| (marked) - General police vehicle, Traffic Services, Community Sweeper Unit
|
|
|-
| Ford Crown Victoria- (black/blue stripe, grey/grey stripe)
| Stealth Police Cruiser.
|
|
|-
| Ford FocusThe Ford Focus is a compact car introduced to North America in 1999 for model year 2000, now in its second generation. The North American models were initially co-developed with the international Focus, which had already debuted at the 1998 Paris Motor Show and were eventually manufactured and sold...
| Parking Enforcement car
|
|
|-
| Ford TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
| (Highway Patrol)
| retired
|
|-
| PlymouthPlymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, marketed by the Chrysler Corporation and DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
CaravelleThe Plymouth Caravelle is a mid-sized sedan that was originally a 1983 Canadian model. The Caravelle came to the United States in 1985 to replace the Chrysler E-Class. It was essentially identical to the concurrent Dodge 600...
| General police vehicle
| retired
|
|-
| VolkswagenThe Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft , also known as Volkswagen Group or as VW, is an automobile manufacturer and mobility organisation based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany and is the pioneer brand within the Volkswagen Group, which contains the car brands Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd.,...
New BeetleThe Volkswagen New Beetle was introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavy inspiration from the design of the original Beetle. Unlike the classic Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front and luggage storage in the rear.-Concept 1:...
| Safety Bug car
|
|
|-
| Hondais a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become...
CivicThe Honda Civic is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer...
/Civic Hybrid
| Parking Enforcement car
|
|
|-
Motorcycles
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|+Product list and details
|----- bgcolor=#006699
| Make/Model
| Type
| Status
| Origin
|-
| BMWBMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. Motorcycle manufacturing now operates under the BMW Motorrad brand. BMW introduced the first motorcycle under its name, the R32, in 1923.-Pre-1921: BMW began as an aircraft engine...
K1 (K75RT)
| Motorcycle
|
|
|-
| Harley Davidson FLHTPFL is a model designation used on motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1941 to present. Mostly applied to Harley's large-framed bikes, including the current Touring series, the FL designation is also used with their Softail series, especially on Softails with traditional styling, 16"...
| motorcycle
|
|
|}
Boats
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|+Product list and details
|----- bgcolor=#006699
| Unit #
| Make
| Type
| Notes
|-
| Marine Unit 1
| Hyke Industry
|Dive Platform & Command Vessel marine boat with Volvo PentaVolvo Penta is a subsidiary and a business area of the Volvo Group. It provides engines and complete power systems to leisure boats, workboats, power-generating equipment and similar industrial applications...
Turbo Chargd engines
|
|-
| Marine Unit 2
|
| VIP Boat - Mohogany & Oak Classic Patrol Boat
|
|-
| Marine Unit 3
|
| Long Range Search and Rescue Vessel with Re-Righting Capabilities
|
|-
| Marine Unit 4
|Hyke
| patrol boat
|
|-
| Marine Unit 5
| Hyke
| wooden motor boat - patrol boat
|
|-
| Marine Unit 6
| Hyke
|patrol boat
|-
| Marine Unit 7
| Hyke
|patrol boat
|-
| SRV1
|
| service vessel
|
|-
| Marine Unit 9-11
| Zodiac
| ZodiacThe Zodiac Group is a French corporation with worldwide presence, specialized in the production and development of aerosafety systems, aircraft systems, airline equipment, airbags, remote transmissions, boats and swimming pools, however they are best known for their widely used small inflatable boats...
Rigid-hulled inflatable boatA rigid-inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat, is a light-weight but high performance and high capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale. The design is stable and seaworthy...
(RIBs) with twin four-stroke motors
|-
| Marine Unit 12
|
| fan boat
|-
| Marine Unit 8
|Zodiac
| Zodiac with a Covered Wheelhouse, Twin Turbo-Disel Jet Drive Engines
|-
| 1 "HUSKY"
| airboat
| used for operating over ice
|-
|
|
|
|-
| MU00
| Seadoo GTX-4
| personal watercraft
|
|}
Support vehicles
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|+Product list and details
|----- bgcolor=#006699
| Make/Model
| Type
| Status
| Origin
|-
| ChevroletChevrolet is a brand of automobile produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant in 1911, Chevrolet was acquired by General Motors in 1917...
ExpressThe Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana are full-size vans from General Motors. They replaced the Chevrolet Van and GMC Vandura in 1996. The Express and Savana currently hold 44.8% of the full-size van market in the United States, just behind rival Ford's E-Series. The Express outsells the Savana by...
| van - Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Collision Reconstruction
|
|
|-
| GMCGMC is a brand name used on trucks, vans, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors Company...
Savanna
| vans - Radio Services and Court Services
|
|
|-
| GMCGMC is a brand name used on trucks, vans, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors Company...
C series light truck
| ETF
|
|
|-
| Chevrolet SuburbanThe Chevrolet Suburban is a large sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. It is the longest-lived continuous automobile nameplate still in production, dating from 1935. For most of its recent history, the Suburban has been a station wagon-bodied version of the Chevrolet pickup truck, including the...
| SUV - ETF, Marine Unit, Police Dog Service, Public Safety Unit, Radio Services
|
|
|-
| FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
F350
| pickup truck with horses trailer - Mounted Unit
|
|
|-
| Armet Armoured Vehicles Incorporated/FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
Trooper - using F-550 chassis
| tactical vehicle - ETF
|
| /
|-
| FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
Van
| Explosive Disposal Unit, Forensic Identification Service
|
|
|-
| Ford F-series or GMCGMC may refer to:* General Motors, an American automobile manufacturing company** GMC , a division of General Motors formerly named "GMC Truck"* Game Maker Community, the official forum of Game Maker, a game creation tool...
Vandura trucks
| Prisoner Transportation Services Court Wagons
|
|
|-
| Freightliner Trucks FL mobile
| mobile command unit
|
|
|-
| Ford F-series truck chassis
| tow truck
|
|
|-
| FordThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
Van
| van RIDE
|
|
|-
| GMC SafariThe Chevrolet Astro was a rear-wheel drive minivan introduced by Chevrolet in 1985 to rival domestic competitors the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager twins and the Japanese Toyota Van. Also sharing the Astro's platform was its sibling, the GMC Safari...
| SUV Parking Enforcement
|
|
|-
| JeepJeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler. It is the oldest off-road vehicle brand, with Land Rover coming in second. The original vehicle which first appeared as the prototype Bantam BRC became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the US Army and allies during the World War II and postwar...
CherokeeThe Jeep Cherokee is a unibody compact SUV. It shared the name of the original full-size SJ model, but without a body-on-frame chassis, it actually set the stage for the modern SUV. Its innovative appearance and sales popularity spawned important imitators as other automakers began to notice that...
| SUV
|
|
|-
| Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
Remotec Andros MK V1A and Andros F6B
| bomb unit robots
|
|
|-
| General Motors Diesel DivisionGeneral Motors Diesel Division was a unit of General Motors and was a manufacturer of locomotives, transit buses and military products.The locomotive unit was acquired by private investors, the transit bus divisions were purchased by TMC in the U.S. and MCI in Canada, and the GM Defense unit was...
T6H -5307 series
| Metro Police Auxiliary AUX1 and AUX 2 bus - ex-Toronto Transit CommissionThe Toronto Transit Commission is a public transport authority that operates buses, streetcars, subways, and rapid transit lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
7960
|
|
|-
| Motor Coach IndustriesMotor Coach Industries International Inc. is a Schaumburg, Illinois-based bus manufacturer founded in 1932 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.-History:...
MCI 102A
| 2 recruitmen buses
|
|
|-
| Motor Coach IndustriesMotor Coach Industries International Inc. is a Schaumburg, Illinois-based bus manufacturer founded in 1932 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.-History:...
MCI-9
| bus
|
|
|-
| Orion Bus IndustriesOrion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States is a Mississauga, Ontario, Canada-based bus manufacturer established by the government of Ontario in 1975...
Orion I
| bus
|
|
|-
|
| Community Relations trailer - community donated
|
|
|}
Bikes
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|+Product list and details
|----- bgcolor=#006699
| Make/Model
| Type
| Status
| Origin
|-
| Norco Bicycles Cross Country
| mountain bikes
|
|
|-
| Aquila Scandium
| mountain bikes - Community Action Policing
|
|
|}
Mounted unit
The horse unit was formed in 1886 to provide crowd control and now stationed at the Horse Palace at the Canadian National ExhibitionCanadian National Exhibition , aka The Ex, is an annual event held at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The CNE grew out of an annual late summer fair at a time when Toronto was the centre of a farming community...
(CNE). The unit has been based at Casa LomaCasa Loma is now a museum and landmark in uptown Toronto, constructed from many different styles of architecture. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911-1914. The architect of the mansion was E. J...
, Toronto ZooThe Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word 'Metropolitan' was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were...
, Sunnybrook Stables and at various division in Scarborough, OntarioScarborough is the area that forms the eastern part of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named by Elizabeth Simcoe in 1796 who was inspired by the Scarborough Bluffs which reminded her of the white cliffs near her home in England. Initially a collection of rural villages it has grown...
and North York, OntarioNorth York forms the central part of the northern half of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288. Until 1998, it was the second-largest of six municipalities that comprised another larger municipal structure...
.
The unit has a strength of 27 horses and 40 officers.
Horses
- Honest Ed (2004); named for Ed Mirvish
Edwin “Honest Ed” Mirvish, OC, CBE was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist and theatrical impresario who lived in Toronto, Ontario...
- Samson
- Lady
- General
- Harry
- Keith
- Dragoon
- Spencer
- Winston
- Royal
- Dundas; named after Dundas Street
Dundas Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, also known interchangeably as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial street which forms a major intersection with Yonge Street where Dundas Square and the Toronto Eaton Centre are found...
- Lincoln; named after former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of, as she operates in the provincial jurisdiction, the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
Lincoln AlexanderLincoln MacCauley Alexander, PC, CC, OOnt, CD, QC , served as the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. Alexander was also a Governor of the Canadian Unity Council...
- Boot ; named after former chief David Boothby
David Boothby was last Chief of Police of the Metro Toronto Police 1995-1997, and first Chief of the Toronto Police Service, from 1998 to 2000....
- Simcoe
Simcoe can refer to any of the following people:*John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, now modern-day southern Ontario, Canada.* Elizabeth Simcoe, the wife of John Graves Simcoe.* Anthony Simcoe, an actor.Places:...
- Blue Moon
- Sabre
- Elvis; named for Mount Unit officer killed on duty
- Dorothy
- Thor
- Stuart
- Champ
- Viscount
- Toby
- Duke
- Champ
- Trooper
- Blue Moon
- Charger
- Juno Beach
- Major
- Justice
Horses killed while on duty:
- Brigadier (born 1998 near Listowel, Ontario) - 2006 - motor vehicle collision
- Lancer - 2002 - motor vehicle collision
Honest Ed and Spencer were invited to the swearing in of President Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
by Michigan’s Multi- Jurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team and Color Guard.
Police dog services
The Toronto Police K-9 unit was created in 1989 and is deployed to search for suspects, missing persons and other duties:
The service has 17 general purpose dogs. Nero and Rony are dogs attached to this unit. There are 4 drug enforcement dogs and 1 explosives detector dog (Mic).
21 officers and dogs are assigned to this unit and based at 44 Beechwood Drive in East York, OntarioEast York was formerly a semi-autonomous borough within the overall municipality of Metropolitan Toronto before East York, North York, York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and Toronto were amalgamated into the new "megacity" of Toronto in 1998...
.
Court Services
In the early 1980s, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) initiated the hiring of civilian personnel to fill the position of Court Officer. Court Officers are primarily responsible for the safety and security of the public within Toronto's busy court locations, as well as the transportation, security, and safety of over 400 prisoners attending court each day. Prior to 1980 this function was performed by uniformed Police Officers under the supervision of a Police Sergeant at each court location. In 1980 the first class of twenty civilian employees were appointed by the Police Services Board to replace the uniformed Police Officers at the court locations. These Court Officers were sworn in as Special Constables, pursuant to the provisions of the Police Services Act, which conferred onto them the powers of Police Officers for the performance of their duties.
As the city’s policing needs expanded, so did the continued civilianization of Court Services. In 1984 the first civilian supervisors were trained to replace the Police Sergeants. These supervisors reported to a Detective Sergeant who was responsible for managing all the TPS personnel assigned to a particular court location.
In the mid 1980’s, the Summons Bureau became a part of Court Services and the Civilian Summons Servers and support staff took on an expanded role under the newly created Document Services Section. The title Summons Server was changed to Document Server to reflect the expanded responsibilities. Document Servers are responsible for serving summonses, subpoenas and other court documents on individuals required to attend Toronto courts.
Court Services later took on the responsibility of overseeing the Matrons, now referred to as Custodial Officers, which is a small but dedicated group of employees tasked with managing female prisoners at a central location.
By 1990 Court Officers had taken over the responsibility of transporting prisoners in specialized wagons between the court locations, divisions and correctional facilities; a task previously performed only by uniformed Police Officers. This centralized service became known as the Prisoner Transportation Section. By 1995 Court Services promoted its first civilian to the position of Location Administrator, replacing the Detective Sergeants who were formerly in charge of the court locations. Today all sections within Court Services are managed by civilian Location Administrators. These Location Administrators report to one of two Staff Inspectors, who in turn report to the Superintendent of Court Services.
The role of the Special Constable within Court Services has developed significantly beyond its original mandate. As new laws were introduced by Parliament, and the City’s law enforcement needs became increasingly complex, Court Services evolved to assist the TPS in meeting those demands.
Court Services now employs over 700 of the Service’s 2500 civilian employees. It comprises several subunits including Prisoner Transportation, Document Services, the Training Section, and the Computer Assisted Scheduling of Courts (CASC). The role of the Special Constables within these subunits includes the service of legal documents; the execution of warrants; the collection DNA samples from convicted offenders; assisting the TPS Public Order Unit in maintaining order during public demonstrations; and being involved in all aspects of the Court Officer hiring and training process. In addition, members of Court Service are often utilized by the TPS for other specialized community outreach initiatives, such as the TPS Aboriginal Peacekeeping Unit; the TPS United Way fund raising initiative; and the Toronto Drug Treatment Court.
The growth in size of the Court Services Unit necessitated the creation of several specialized functions. A centralized Risk Management Section was created, tasked with the responsibility of investigating any complaints and disciplinary issues involving Court Services personnel. It is staffed by a team of detectives, under the supervision of a Detective Sergeant. The position of Crown Police Liaison Officer was also created allowing for a Detective Sergeant at each criminal court location who is dedicated to assisting the Crown’s Office with the processing of court cases.
As the City’s demand for additional court rooms increases, so does the responsibility of Court Services. There are currently 16 court locations across Toronto, with a total of 257 court rooms. In 2008 approximately 106,000 in-custody accused appeared in these court rooms. Also in that year, the Prisoner Transportation Section transported approximately 186,000 prisoners between police divisions and to and from detention centres. This required a professional staff of clerks, Police Officers and Special Constables, all working collaboratively in an impressive demonstration of excellence through people and partnerships.
Toronto Parking Enforcement
Parking enforcement on all roads and public property are the responsibility of Toronto Police.
Uniforms
TPE officers are provincial offences officers able to issue parking tickets under part II of the Ontario Provincial Offences Act. They do not carry any use of force items and are unarmed, but are issued kevlar vests for safety. They are not peace officers.
Their uniform consists of a blue shirt, black cargo pants with blue stripe, a black vest and a cap with blue stripe. Boots are similar to front line TPS officers. In winter months TPE officers have a blue jacket with reflective trim. Patches on the jackets and shirts are similar to the TPS, but with a white back ground the blue wording "Parking Enforcement".
Fleet
Their vehicles have the same paint scheme as the older TPS squad cars, but they are label with Parking Enforcement and PKE or "PKW".
Toronto School Crossing Guards
Adult crossing guards at various intersections and crosswalks are employed and paid by the TPS. They are under charge by various Division across the city.
Marine unit
TPS is one of several police forces along Lake OntarioLake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The lake is bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and by the U.S. state of New York...
with a marine unit.
TPS has a fleet of 15 boats based along marine unit stations in south Etobicoke (Humber Bay West Park), Toronto Harbour and Scarborough (Bluffer's Park):
TPS Marine unit works in conjunction with:
- Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
Search and Rescue unit at CFB TrentonCanadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by Canadian Forces Air Command and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
- Peel Regional Police
The Peel Regional Police provides police services for Peel Region in Ontario, Canada. As of 2005, it is the second largest municipal police service in Ontario after the Toronto Police Service and third largest municipal force in Canada with 1,700 uniformed members and close to 600 support...
Marine Unit
- Durham Regional Police
The Durham Regional Police Service is the police service operated by and serving the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. The force serves the following local municipalities, with a combined population of 589,850:* Pickering, Ontario...
Marine Unit
- Niagara Regional Police Service
The Niagara Regional Police Service provides policing services for the Regional Municipality of Niagara in the Canadian province of Ontario....
Marine Unit
- Halton Regional Police Marine Unit
- Hamilton Police Service (Ontario)
__NOEDITSECTION__The Hamilton Police Service, formerly The Hamilton Wentworth Regional Police, is the local police service for the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This agency is the primary service charged with the duty of enforcing the Criminal Code of Canada in the City of Hamilton. The...
Marine Unit
Uniforms
Besides wearing the reflective vest, guards are supplied with a police issue jacket. The jackets have a patch similar to the TPS, but it has a white background and identification as school crossing guards. A winter hat similar to the UshankaAn ushanka is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to protect the ears, jaw and lower chin from the cold.The word Ushanka derives from ushi , "ears" in Russian....
are worn in cold weather.
Sidearms and weapons
Glock 22 Large frame .40 - Regular uniformed officers
Glock 23 Compact frame .40 - Detectives
Glock 17 Large frame 9 mm - Emergency Task Force (TPS)
Glock 19 Compact frame 9 mm - Emergency Task Force (TPS)
TaserA Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and device's mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
- Regular uniformed supervisors and specialized units
Pepper sprayPepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears.Although considered a less lethal agent,...
(OC Spray) - Regular uniformed officers
TPS formerly used Smith & WessonSmith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
prior to switching over to the Glock.
Weapons used by the ETF include:
- MP5A3
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar.It is currently used by the armed forces and law enforcement units of over 40 countries...
9 mm submachine gun
- Remington 700
The Model 700 series of firearms are bolt-action hunting rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. All are based on the same centerfire bolt action. They come with a 3, 4 or 5-round internal magazine depending on calibre, which sometimes includes a floor-plate for quick-unloading, and...
bolt-action sniper rifle
- Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for target shooting, hunting, and self-defense...
shotgun (Can be issued to Regular Uniformed Officers)
- Mossberg M500
The Mossberg 500 is a shotgun manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. Rather than a single model, the 500 is really a series of widely varying hammerless, pump action repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine...
shotgun (Can be issued to Regular Uniformed Officers)
- Diemaco C8 carbine rifle (Can also be employed by member's of PSU when doing Court Security)
- Taser International M18 taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and device's mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
- Taser International X26 taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and device's mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
- Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears.Although considered a less lethal agent,...
(OC Spray)
- Tear gas (CS Gas)
- Rubber bullets
"Rubber Bullets" was a song by 10cc from their debut self-titled album.Written and produced by Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and Graham Gouldman and produced by 10cc, "Rubber Bullets" was the band's first number one single in the United Kingdom, spending a single week at the top in June 1973. It fared...
or bean bags rounds
- ARWEN 37
The ARWEN 37 is a less-lethal launcher which fires 37 mm less-lethal rounds designed for riot control. It has a 5-round rotary drum magazine. "ARWEN" is an acronym for "Anti Riot Weapon ENfield"....
37 mm riot gun (and AR-1 plastic baton rounds, may also be available to crowd/riot control officers)
Uniform
Front line officers wear dark navy blue shirts, cargo pants (with red stripe) and boots. Winter jackets are either dark navy blue jacket design Eisenhower style, single breasted front closing, 2 patch type breast pockets, shoulder straps, gold buttons, or yellow windbreaker style with the word POLICE in reflective silver and black at the back (Generally worn by the bicycle police). All ranks shall wear dark navy blue clip on ties when wearing long-sleeve uniforms.
Auxiliary officers (shown to the right) wear light blue shirts, with the badging of auxiliary on the bottom of the crest. Originally front line officer also wore light blue shirts but changed to the current navy blue shirts in the Fall of 2000.
Hats can be styled after baseball capA baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a long, stiff bill that may either be curved or flat. The back of the cap may have a plastic, Velcro, or elastic adjuster so that it can be quickly adjusted to fit different wearers....
s, combination caps,or fur trim hats for winter. Motorcycle units have white helmets. Black or reflective yellow gloves are also provided to officers with Traffic Services. Front line officers usually wear combination caps since that is the location of their badge.
As is the case with all Ontario Law Enforcement Officers, uniformed officers wear name tags. They are in the style of "A. Example" where the first letter of the first name is written and the last name next to it. Name tags are usually stitched on with white stitching on a black background, but they also have pin-styled with black lettering on a gold plate.
Senior officers wear white shirts and a black dress jacket.
Logo
The components of the TPS logo is similar to the old Metro Toronto Police logo less the name change:
- winged wheels of industry on the top part of the shield
- crown commemorating the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953
- two books for education
- Caduceus - Roman god of commerce
- chevron for housing
- beaver from the city of Toronto logo
Ranks
The rank insignia of the Toronto Police Service is similar to that used by police services elsewhere in Canada and in the United Kingdom, except that the usual "pips" are replaced by maple leaves.
Commanding officers
Besides the Chief of Police, the other command officers are the Deputy Chiefs. They head the command units:
- Divisional Policing - Kim Derry (current)
- Executive - Peter Sloly Peter Sloly (current)
- Human Resources - Keith Forde (current)
- Specialized Policing - Anthony Warr (current)
The Chief Administrative Officer is a civilian post, currently held by Tony Veneziano.
Police senior officers
The day-to-day and regional operations are commanded by senior officers:
- Staff Superintendent
Superintendent , often shortened to "Super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is Superintendent of Police...
- Superintendent
Superintendent , often shortened to "Super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is Superintendent of Police...
- Staff Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
- Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
Investigative non-commissioned officers
Investigations are divided into crimes against persons and crimes against property. These investigations are conducted by:
- Detective Sergeant
- Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators...
- Detective Constable
Police officers
- Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
- Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
- Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.- Etymology :...
- first class, second class, third class, fourth class
Sworn members
- Special Constable
A special constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, or...
- Court Officers, Prisoner Transportation officers, Document Servers, Custodial Officers
Ranks
- Locational Administrator
- Shift Supervisor
- Supervisor
- Officer
Unsworn members
- Cadet
A cadet is a trainee officer in the military, a junior branch of an important family, or simply a person who is a junior trainee.- Etymology :...
- Rover
- Automotive industry :*Rover Company, a former British automobile manufacturing company which built Rover cars and Land Rover vehicles and established the Rover marque; this article also covers the**merged Rover company,...
- Parking Enforcement Officer
- Station Duty Officers
- Communicator Operators
Training
New and current officers of the Toronto Police Service train at the Toronto Police College on Birmingham east of Islington. The initial training is 2 weeks, followed by 12 weeks at the Ontario Police CollegeThe Ontario Police College is located in Malahide Township, just east of Aylmer, in Elgin County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.-Programs:...
in Aylmer, OntarioAylmer is a town in Elgin County in southern Ontario, Canada, just north of Lake Erie, on Catfish Creek. It is 20 km south of Highway 401. The mayor is Robert Habkirk.-History:...
and then 6 weeks of final training at Toronto Police College. C.O Bick College was closed in July 2009.
Emergency Services
TPS is part of Toronto's Emergency Services and works along side with:
- Toronto Fire Services
The Toronto Fire Services is part of the Emergency Services that respond to 911 calls in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The Toronto Fire Services is responsible for responding to fires, rescue and assisting with medical situations within the City of Toronto...
- Toronto EMS
Toronto Emergency Medical Services is the statutory Emergency medical services provider for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated directly as a branch of the municipal government as an independent, third-service option provider, which means that the service is funded by...
- Heavy Urban Search and Rescue
See also
- Auxiliary Constable
- Canadian Police Volunteers :The Auxiliary Constable performs a similar role to their UK counterpart in the Special Constabulary.Provincial Auxiliary Programs-Royal Canadian Mounted Police Auxiliary:...
- Emergency Task Force
The Emergency Task Force ' is the tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service . It is mandated to deal with high risk situations like gun calls, hostage taking, barricaded persons, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests and warrant service, and protection details. The unit was created in...
- History of crime in Toronto
- TTC Special Constable Services
The TTC Special Constable Services is the safety and security division of the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario. They are responsible for safety and security and are authorized as "Special Contables" by several GTA Police Services Boards....
- Police Recruitment Canada
External links