Annual Report 2007:2007 Annual Report 5/27/08 9:57 AM Page 1 · Athletic Games as children inspect Bandit’s trading card. Annual Report 2007:2007 Annual Report 5/27/08 9:57 AM Page

Annual Report 2007:2007 Annual Report 5/27/08 9:57 AM Page 1

Produced by the Toronto Police Service

Public Information Unit

40 College St., Toronto, Ontario

M5G 2J3

416-808-7100

Cover art by Pedja Ljubomirovic, Public Information Unit

Page 3 photo: Jim Brown (2007)

Page 39 photo: Boris Spremo, Toronto Star (1967)

Special thanks to the Toronto Police Service Museum and privatecollector Steven Greenblatt for sharing historical material.

Court officers standing out-side Old City Hall Courtswith a prisoner transportationvehicle. Court officers are re-sponsible for escorting pris-oners to and from jails andinside courts.


ContentsMessages from Chief William Blair

50 years of history

Traffic safety

50 years of history

New buildings

Veterans of the Service

Aiding vulnerable victims

4

23

28

16

Addressing gun violence

Working with the community

Divisional map/contact numbers

and Chair Alok Mukherjee

8

18

20

30

12Online bike registry

34

42

Police Dog Services Sgt. Paul Caissie introduces his policedog, Bandit, at the Toronto Police Association Amateur Athletic Games as children inspect Bandit’s trading card.


For the Toronto Police Services Board,2007 was a year of significant achieve-

ments in our work to provide effectivecivilian governance and ensure that polic-ing in Toronto contributes to the safetyand wellbeing of all of our communities.

In May 2007, the Board approved anEnvironmental Policy which promotesenvironmentally responsible practices onsuch matters as cleaner air, water conser-vation, better use of energy and waste re-duction. The Board also supported the

design and construction of environmen-tally responsible buildings and facilitiesand approved the acquisition of a numberof Smart cars, hybrid cars and other envi-ronmentally friendly vehicles for trialwith a view to develop a strategy for anenvironmentally responsible fleet.

Another area of focus in 2007 was thehealth and wellness of employees. TheBoard approved a progressive new policyon Occupational Health and Wellness thatdemonstrated its dedication to the goal ofenhancing employee wellness and main-taining workplaces that are safe andhealthy.

The Board also offered to host the 2008annual conference of the Canadian Asso-

ciation of Police Boards. Since hosting thefounding conference of CAPB, this is thefirst time that this important conferencewill come to Toronto. To be held in Au-gust, the theme of this year’s conferenceis “Civilian Governance and Social Re-sponsibility: Safety, Community and Sus-tainability.”

The Board has continued its work onthe important issues of diversity andhuman rights. In May of 2007, the Chairsigned a Human Rights Project Charter

with Chief Blair and OHRC Chief Com-missioner Barbara Hall as co-sponsors.The Charter sets out a framework for theBoard, the Toronto Police Service and theOntario Human Rights Commission towork together on human rights issues.This is a progressive and exciting collabo-rative initiative, aimed at developing sys-temic remedies to human rights issues.Lastly, in 2007, the Board undertook a sus-tained campaign targeting gun violencein our communities and advocated withprovincial and federal governments totake necessary legislative action to ensurethat those who possess and use guns ille-gally are subject to serious consequences,to impose a complete handgun ban, to

significantly increase enforcement meas-ures, and to work cooperatively with theUS to prevent international gun traffick-ing. The Board’s efforts received supportfrom the provincial and national associa-tions of police boards.

I am proud of the work that the Boardhas done over the past year as a produc-tive and strong team, building upon ourpast successes. I know, too, that much stillremains to be done. This work must bedone in partnership, with the Board, the

Service, and the community working to-gether.

On behalf of all Torontonians, I wantto express my utmost appreciation for theremarkable work that our Service mem-bers do on a daily basis. Your dedication,hard work and commitment are the rea-sons that the Service is recognized as aworld leader in law enforcement andcommunity policing.

Message from Toronto Police Services BoardChair Alok Mukherjee

Judi CohenProvincial Appointee

City CouncillorPam McConnell

Hamlin GrangeProvincial Appointee

MayorDavid Miller

Hugh LockeProvincial Appointee

City CouncillorFrank Di Giorgio

4


Message from Toronto Police Service

Chief William Blair

As we look back at 2007, I am onceagain very proud of the accom-plishments of the men and

women of the Toronto Police Service, re-alized through their highly professionalwork. As law-enforcement officers,mentors, community partners and rolemodels, the uniform and civilian mem-bers of the Service constantly demon-strate their dedication to keepingToronto a safe and successful city.

We are committed to delivering pub-lic safety services in a fiscally responsi-ble manner, and will continue to takeaction to ensure value is received forevery dollar we spend. In 2007, we cel-ebrated the 50th anniversary of the Ser-vice’s formation. In 1957, 13 separatedepartments were formed into the newpolice force, serving all of Toronto. Fromthat brave venture into uncharted wa-ters, half a century ago, has grown oneof the best police services in the world.I look forward to continuing to lead theService in its second half-century.

We adapt and refine how we conductour business. We conducted several suc-cessful closed-circuit television (CCTV)pilot projects after extensive communityconsultation. We will continue to seekout, and utilize, innovative methods ofpromoting community safety.In 2007,we continued the work of replacing our

many retiring members and maintain-ing our newly established uniformstrength. We hired 273 committed indi-viduals, eager to serve their fellow citi-zens as Toronto Police Service officers,as well as filling the wide range of civil-ian positions so essential to our success.

These new members of the Servicefamily bring a diverse range of experi-ences, competencies and skills. We lookforward to their contributions to theachievement of our mission. Althoughwe were faced with an increased num-ber of homicides in 2007, this is just oneindicator of community safety. We had7% fewer shootings in 2007 than in 2006and 26% fewer shooting victims in thesame period. The latter statistic repre-sents 89 fewer people victimized by theillegal use of firearms last year than theyear before. Encouragingly, we are re-ceiving more information from the com-munity in the wake of violent incidents,valuable information that is helpingsolve these crimes and restore order toour neighbourhoods.

Traffic safety remains central to ourwork. I am grateful to be able to notethat vehicle fatalities decreased 9% lastyear and accidents resulting in life-

threatening injuries decreased by 39%.Our awareness and enforcement effortsare paying dividends in enhanced roadsafety.

It is remarkable that, in the last twoyears, with more officers in the commu-nity with many more formal and infor-mal interactions with the citizens weserve, the number of public complaintsabout our officers declined steadily.

In 2007, despite large increases in en-forcement and contact activities, we re-ceived 17% fewer public complaints. Istrongly believe this is reflective of boththe professionalism of our officers andtheir excellent training and supervision.On behalf of all the members of theService, I would like to reaffirm ourcommitment to the citizens of Toronto.In strong and respectful partnershipwith our communities, we are dedicatedto keeping Toronto the safest and mostliveable city.

Deputy ChiefKim DerryDivisional PolicingCommand

Deputy ChiefJane DickExecutive Command

Deputy ChiefKeith FordeHuman ResourcesCommand

Deputy ChiefTony WarrSpecialized OperationsCommand

Chief Administrative OfficerTony VenezianoAdministrative Command


Mission statementWe are dedicated to delivering police services inpartnership with our communities to keep Torontothe best and safest place to be.

Core valuesHonestyWe are truthful and open in our interactions with eachother and with members of our communities.

IntegrityWe are honourable, trustworthy, and strive to dowhat is right.

We treat everyone in an impartial, equitable, sensitive, and ethical manner.

We value ourselves, each other, and all membersof our communities, showing understanding andappreciation for our similarities and differences.

We are conscientious, professional, responsible,and dependable in our dealings with each otherand our communities.

We work together within the Service and with members of our communities to achieve our goals, making use of diverse skills, abilities, roles, and views.

We strive to bring positive and constructive influences to our dealings with each other and our communities.

Fairness

Respect

Reliability

Team Work

Positive Attitude6


Priorities

Community PolicingPartnershipsEffective, accountable policing is theresult of a partnership between thepolice and the community. Commu-nity issues cannot be dealt with solelyby police, and community membersoften have a better understanding ofthe problems and concerns in theirneighbourhoods. The Service is com-mitted to transforming the organiza-tion through a strategy of communitymobilization, that is, actively engag-ing the community and social agen-cies in developing and implementingsustainable solutions to local prob-lems. Effective police-communitypartnerships, oriented to the needs ofthe community, should not only re-duce crime, but also decrease fear ofcrime and enhance the quality of lifein the community.

Safety of VulnerableGroupsThe Service will continue to addressthe dangers to, and concerns of, thosemost vulnerable to victimization inour society, particularly women andchildren. While addressing the needsof women and children who are vic-timized is a multi-faceted task thatthe police must carry out togetherwith community partners, improvingthe police response in particularshould provide these victims with re-assurance that the Service is commit-ted to their safety, and assist them inaccessing the help they require to pre-vent further victimization.

Community Safety andSecurityMembers of the community shouldbe able to move about and conducttheir personal and business liveswithout fear of intimidation, harass-ment, or attack. Even a small numberof crimes, especially violent crimes,can negatively affect perception ofsafety and quality of life. Effective po-lice response and a relationship withthe community that encouragesinput, co-operation, and participationare vital to the prevention and inves-tigation of these crimes.

Traffic SafetyThe traffic on Toronto’s roadways af-fects almost everyone within the city.The safe and efficient flow of traffic,and the safety of our drivers, passen-gers, cyclists, and pedestrians are,therefore, of significant concern to theToronto Police Service. Building part-nerships and mobilizing local com-munities to respond to local trafficproblems will assist in sustaining suc-cessful efforts and improve neigh-bourhood roadway safety. On a widerscale, by focusing efforts on increasedenforcement of traffic offences andsafety education for those most atrisk, the Service also seeks to improveconditions on city roadways foreveryone.

Human ResourcesMembers, both uniform and civilian,are central to our organization. Al-though the Toronto Police Servicegenerally enjoys the good opinion ofthe communities we serve, we mustalways strive to preserve and im-prove this positive regard and our re-lationships with our communities.The Service must ensure that mem-bers have the skills and abilities theyneed to provide effective, profes-sional, non-biased services to addressthe needs of our diverse communi-ties. We must also ensure that we con-tinue to strive to be representative ofthe communities we serve.

2006-2008

Delivery of ServiceThe manner in which police provideservice to the community can be amajor determinant of the success of aPolice Service. The Toronto PoliceService recognizes and values the di-versity of the city, and does not toler-ate any discrimination in the deliveryof service. With the aim of fostering amutually respectful and beneficial re-lationship, we are committed to pro-viding service that is accountable,professional, non-biased, and ori-ented to community needs. And, indelivering service, it is often impor-tant that police be a visible part of thecommunity. Visibility can be an effec-tive form of crime prevention, canoffer the opportunity for police andpublic to build relationships, and cangenerally make communities feelsafer.


TAVISToronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy

TAVIS

The Toronto Anti-ViolenceIntervention Strategy(TAVIS) is the plan that

the Toronto Police Service isusing to reduce crime and vio-lence in neighbourhoods.

Working with communitymobilization strategies, TAVISbrings together all of the peoplein your neighbourhood to planand carry out activities that willresolve crime and disorder is-sues. Your local division is onthe front lines of TAVIS.

Each division has a neigh-bourhood officer who workswith people in your communityto find lasting solutions to crime

and disorder.All Toronto police officers,

including the TAVIS Rapid Re-sponse Teams, the Toronto DrugSquad, the Gun and Gang TaskForce, Community MobilizationUnit and Intelligence Services,support the divisions in carry-ing out neighbourhood plans.

TAVIS is available to supportand stabilize neighbourhoodsexperiencing crime and vio-lence.

TAVIS generally focuses onall types of violent crime, in-cluding shootings, homicides,robberies, but also domestic vi-olence and child abuse.

www.torontopolice.on.ca/tavis

InApril 2007, after extensive com-munity consultation, CCTV

cameras were tested around thecity as a pilot project. There arecameras in several of the divisions,as well as on Yonge Street near theEaton Centre and in the Entertain-ment District.

Cameras are not a solution tocrime, but when integrated intobroader crime management strate-gies, they can be a valuable tool inincreasing public safety.

The Toronto Police Service hasreceived overwhelming commu-

nity support for this pilot project.At the end of 2007 there were 18cameras in neighbourhoods acrossthe city. The cameras are markedwith the word POLICE and theToronto Police Service crest. Theyare clearly visible to all members ofthe public, and are only pro-grammed to view public spaces.Public notices are posted whereCCTV cameras are used, advisingthat there are cameras in that area.Currently, recorded images areonly viewed by police in the eventof a reported incident.

TAVIS totals

Arrests

Firearms seized

Compliance checks

Citizen contacts

8

4,850

106

5,111

84,442

C C T V


Super unit opens

Anew comprehensive and covertunit representing all aspects ofthe justice system was deployed

to strike at the heart of gun-and-gang vi-olence in the GTA and beyond.

The Integrated Gun and Gang TaskForce Provincial Operations Centrebrings together officers from Toronto, theOPP, RCMP, York, Peel and Durham po-lice services as well as organized crimeinvestigators, probation officers, Min-istry of Attorney General personnel andcrown attorneys under one roof.

“Bringing together crowns and policeisn’t brand new but in this way it’s brandnew,” Attorney General Michael Bryanttold staff at the 2007 ribbon-cutting cere-mony for the new building. “We’ve

never brought together so many parts ofthe justice system in one place.”

He said police and crowns need onlywalk down the hall of the building, at acovert location, to bounce ideas off eachother.

“Organized justice takes a great stepforward,” Bryant said. “What we’redoing here is keeping our streets safer.”

In the wake of Project Impact, a TPSproject that dismantled the MalvernCrew street gang, investigators havetaken on more massive and complexcases, which produced a need for moreresources.

Crown Attorney and Toronto regiondirector Fred Braley said the large policeinvestigations had put a strain on the

system.The new centre gives investigators a

cutting-edge building, including a high-tech briefing room that allows differentpolice agencies to link up their computernetworks.

TPS Organized Crime EnforcementUnit S/Insp Joe Tomei said all justice sys-tem partners can consult on the majorprojects.

“This integrated approach is going tobe a model for other jurisdictions,”Tomei said, noting the system allows formore resources, connections and awealth of expertise around the province.“We’ll be able to pass information in-stantaneously when we’re working inthe same building.”

to combat gun violence


The Service turned upthe heat on Torontostreet gangs, delivering

a “surgical” strike at theheart of one operating in avulnerable northwest neigh-bourhood.

The 11-month ProjectKryptic, that culminated inJune with 95 arrests and 700charges ranging from drugpossession to gun trafficking,was the Service’s fifth super-investigation in the last threeyears.

“We’ve taken dozens ofweapons off the street,dozens of gunmen and thestreets are safer as a result,”Chief Bill Blair told reporters,following the pre-dawn ar-rests.

Over 130 search warrantswere executed by nearly 700officers. Over $1 million indrugs was seized, including30 kilos of cocaine, 20 kilos ofmarijuana and nine kilos ofhash oil. Over $220,000 (Cdn)was also seized.

Project Kryptic followedin the footsteps of severalother successful strikes atgangs in the city over thepast several years, includingProject Impact that targetedthe Malvern Crew, ProjectPathfinder that took downthe Galloway Boys, Project

Flicker that dismantled theArdwick Blood Crew andProject XXX that obliteratedthe Jamestown Crew.

The project, led by the In-tegrated Gun and Gang TaskForce (IGGTF), was aimed atthe leadership of the Drift-wood Crips, a street gangknown for its use of violenceand intimidation in the Janeand Finch community.

“You have people in therewith firearms who use themindiscriminately. It creates anatmosphere of fear,” saidproject leader S/Sgt MattCrone. “Their dispute-resolu-tion strategy is to use vio-lence. The number-one rule isyou don’t talk to the policeand don’t cooperate with thepolice.”

A substantial police pres-ence remained in many of theaffected neighbourhoodswith officers on foot, bicyclesand horses, said S/SuptGlenn De Caire.

“A maintenance strategyof support is in place and willstay in place in our problemneighbourhoods,” De Cairesaid. “High visibility of ouruniformed officers will con-tinue.”

Message clear:‘One less gang’

10


After 23 years, a single fingerprintfinally made its mark. In earlyAugust, Forensic Identification

Services (FIS) fingerprint technicianDorinda Duhasky was conducting re-verse verifications, where the prints ofnewly arrested people are comparedwith the 125,000 latent prints the Servicehas on record.

“I remember the file; the number onit struck me as unusual,” said Duhasky,noting the ’84 in its makeup. The com-puter spit out the most likely candidates.

“It’s really a starting point for us. Thecomputer leaves it up to us to make thedecision,” said Duhasky, who observesthe ridges along the skin for uniqueidentifiers such as short spans, splits and“lakes” (describing the gap where aridge splits and rejoins).

From what she saw, Duhasky wasable to see minutiae, or points of inter-est in the right middle finger, to make amatch to a print recovered from a hold-up note in a 1984 bank robbery. TheAFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identifi-cation System) section had to porethrough dusty records to find the noteand robbery details.

“The whole case just branched out,”said Duhasky. “It was a group effort.”

Current FIS Const. Marty Doyle hadbeen the Scenes Of Crime Officer to re-cover the note. Major cases have beenuploaded onto the system back to the1980s.

The Hold Up Squad followed up onthe information, matching the modusoperandi and similarities in other notesto at least nine other bank robberies overthe summer of 1984.

Because the squad keeps past hold-up notes back, a manual fingerprint

check by another technician resulted inthe man’s print allegedly being found onone of those nine notes and another hiton another person in an occurrence that

had already been solved.“I took a look through our book and

found notes with the same type of hand-writing, using the same phrases,” saidD/Sgt Brian McCready, noting thebanks had similar locations. It was alsofound that the recently arrested manhad been convicted of robbery in an ad-joining region during the same period.

“We’ve always had a good relation-ship with the AFIS section,” said Mc-Cready, of the role of the section insolving robberies.

He said holding on to records andsharing information is key to solvingrobberies. The veteran officer, who hasbeen with the squad since 1998, can’t re-member a hit going back so far into thearchives. An arrest is expected in thecase.

Technology has taken fingerprintidentification into new worlds, said FISunit commander S/Insp Cyril Fernan-des. Without the software to narrowdown the field of prints, fingerprinttechnicians would have to scan thou-sands upon thousands of latents manu-

ally.“The software algorithm automati-

cally maps out the potential people,”said Fernandes.

“The technology has improved somuch we can search when we couldn’tbefore.”

The suspect, who had been arrestedin 1998, was never matched to thecrimes because technicians would haveto check each of the 100,000-plus latentprints manually.

Because of the digital database tech-nology, technicians now have the op-portunity to check against the archive ofpast prints quickly – but matching theprints is still done manually by a highlytrained technician.

Just recently, the Service was recog-nized with an award for the find at aninternational biometrics conference. TheBill Whyte Hit of the Year, namedposthumously for the 33-year RCMPchief superintendent who was long-re-spected in the field of forensic identifi-cation and biometrics fields, was givento the Service based on the work of theAFIS section and the Hold Up Squad.

“Forensic Identification Services, rep-resents a dedicated team of uniform andcivilian members who, by their dedica-tion and commitment to excellence,have once again brought world-wide ac-claim and pride to this organization inwinning this prestigious award,” saidFernandes, of the Motorola BiometricsUsers Educational conference award.Over 300 delegates, representing 23countries and across North America,participated in the 28th annual confer-ence in mid-October. The conferenceprovides education on biometrics, iden-tity management and AFIS technology.

Print paydirt after 23 years

The technologyhas improved somuch we cansearch when wecouldnʼt before


Registering bikes hasnever been easier. OnSept. 25, Chief Bill

Blair launched the new onlinebicycle registration programat Bloordale Middle School, toensure more stolen bikes re-turn to their rightful owners.

The Chief encouraged thehundreds of children on handfor a special assembly, to reg-ister their bikes.

“If a young person is goingto be a victim of crime, it’smost likely going to be theftand most likely their bicyclebeing stolen,” Chief Blair said,noting bicycles are importantpieces of people’s lives. “Bicy-cles are very important toyoung people because it’s

how they get around.”He said the registry will

prevent and solve bike thefts.“It’s going to make it

harder for a person to getaway with stealing a bike be-cause that bike will be prop-erly registered,” the Chiefsaid.

Bike owners can add them-selves to 50,000 bicycles al-ready registered by clickingon the bicycle icon on the TPSinternet home page – toron-topolice.on.ca – and filling outthe registration form online.

“It’s a simpler, refined andeasier process for members ofthe community to registertheir bicycles,” said Propertyand Evidence Management

Unit supervisor Brenda Radix.“They can access the system24 hours a day, seven days aweek and it’s free.”

The serial numbers will beadded to the database so thatpolice can return the over-900bicycles recovered or turnedin each year. Fewer than 5% ofthose bikes are returned totheir rightful owners becauseno serial number has beenregistered. Those bikes notclaimed are sold by onlineauction.

A new bicycle-registrationand theft-prevention pam-phlet is also available online.Bicycle registration forms canstill be dropped off at anyToronto police station.

They can ac-cess the sys-tem 24 hoursa day, sevendays a week,and itʼs free

Bike registry online

12

www.torontopolice.on.ca


The Service began charting newground in 2007, helping investi-gators map out a web of firearms,

casings, witnesses, victims, suspects andassociates stemming from gun crimes.

Hits from the Integrated BallisticsIdentification System (IBIS) are beingprocessed into visual linkage charts andposted on the TPS intranet to help in-

vestigators. The information on hits be-tween cases, forwarded by the Centrefor Forensic Sciences (CFS), is being de-veloped into charts representing boththe evidence and the people linked togun crimes.

“You’re now able to see what they’relinked to and how,” said crime analystD/Const Manny San Pedro, of how

analysis with the new system can showlinks between guns, casings and the wit-nesses, victims, suspects and associatesin the case. The IBIS data is run througheCOPS, CIPS and Manix police data-bases to find the links between the cases.In the past, investigators who had anIBIS hit on their case would receive a let-ter, detailing what other case it waslinked to. However, it did not show howthe cases were linked, whether by thegun or an exhibit in the case.

“The analysis is being done at thefront end when we receive it,” said SanPedro, who developed the system alongwith D/Sgt Tim Davey, both of Corpo-rate Planning.

“We’re bridging that gap. Instead ofeveryone doing the analysis on theirown, we’re providing those links.”

Link-analysis software gives themthe ability to sort through the links in avisual format, showing a web of lines oncomputer monitors that seemingly linkevery case in the system.

“You can see what cases, shell casingsare associated,” he said.

San Pedro said these webs often formaround gun crimes, where victims andassociates from one shooting are foundto be suspects in others.

Mapping the missing linkin gun crimes


In 2007, each divi-sion was equippedwith a brand-new

scout car featuring thelatest TPS design.

The redesign wasrolled out on new ve-hicles or any badlydamaged vehicles,said Mike Smith, fromFleet Services. It willtake approximatelythree years to see theentire fleet changeover to the new decals,at no added cost to theService.

Besides newcolouring and design,additional markingson scout cars havebeen added to increaseofficer and publicsafety and decreasecollisions:

• barrier tape onthe rear bumper coverto minimize rear-endcollisions

• added reflectivematerial to outline thecars when they areused to block road-ways during emergen-cies

• 12-inch letter ‘T’has been added for-ward of the roof lightsto distinguish TPS carsfrom other Serviceswhere helicopters arebeing used in searchesor pursuits

• TORONTO hasbeen added to thesides and enhanced onthe rear trunk lid toclearly identify the ve-hicles as from theToronto Police Service

New-look car hits road

New uniforms for distinct jobs

There will be no shades ofgrey in distinguishing ETFmembers at an emergency

scene.The heavily armed Emergency

Task Force is now suited up ingrey uniforms as a way to spotthem more easily at a scene.

“Operationally we don’t wantany confusion, especially in anemergency situation,” said S/InspJim Ramer. “They’re distinctivefrom the rest of the uniforms.”

At the Union Station standoffin 2005, where an armed man helda woman hostage, there had beensome confusion as to where ETFofficers were at the scene.

“There was so much blue, itwas difficult to distinguish whowas an ETF officer,” said teamleader Const. Ivan Dragos, addingthe grey uniform isn’t a statussymbol but a valued operationaltool for officers.

Police Dog Services officersand Forensic Identification officerssport similar tactical-style blue

uniforms. Ramer said the greyuniforms are being used by othertactical units across the provinceand may one day become stan-dard.

“The grey colour is better in anurban environment in terms ofconcealment,” Ramer said.

Across the city, Forensic Identi-fication Services crime scene in-vestigators turned blue afterdonning their new uniforms. Thetactical uniforms and baseball-style caps, emblazoned with theirlogo, are designed to be morecomfortable and practical thanregular uniforms. The unit, whichmoved from plainclothes to uni-form, lobbied for new uniforms toallow better flexibility on the job.

“They attend dusty, dirty andsticky scenes,” said D/Sgt DennisBuligan, who noted the investiga-tors are glad to have the extra free-dom of movement in theutilitarian gear. “They are up,down and have to climb andcrawl around obstacles.”

14


Four officers who plucked a toddlerfrom the brink of death were recog-nized as the Toronto Board of Trade

Police Officers of the Year for 2007. The 40th annual gala event, at the

Toronto Board of Trade headquarters onJune 14, brought together all the winners ofthe police-officer-of-the-month awards tocrown a winner for the year.

Chief Bill Blair said it’s a unique oppor-

tunity to honour many of Toronto’s finest. “It’s a great way to showcase our people

to the city,” he said. “Every single day, themen and women of the Toronto Police Serv-ice do thousands of things that make a dif-ference in the city.”

54 Division Consts. Daryl Pleshe, WilliamTaafe, Derek Mole and Scott Babin (from leftto right above) came to the aid of the two-year-old girl on May 9, 2006, when a hazardcall came over their radios. The toddler hadclimbed atop a chair on an apartment bal-cony, dangerously close to the edge.

Consts. Mole and Pleshe went to theneighbouring apartment while Babin andTaafe tried to gain entry into the apartment.

Mole replaced the grip of a neighbour,who had begun to lose hold of the child,who was separated by a metal divider be-tween the balconies. His partner, Taffe,scaled the balcony divider, reaching down tograb the girl as Mole pushed her upwards.

“In hindsight, it was just a matter of time

until she fell from the balcony,” Mole said.Meanwhile, Babin and Pleshe kicked

down the door of the little girl’s apartment.They found her seven-year-old brother. Hehad been sleeping while the toddler wan-dered off.

The mother was charged with child aban-donment.

The rescue was just one of the accountsof bravery and dedication to duty thatranged from facing gunfire to greatly im-proving a notification system for victims ofcrime.

Officers of the YearToronto Board of Trade


Domestic violence investigatorsforged stronger connectionswith victims of violence in 33 Di-

vision.

The DISARM (Domestic IncidentSupport And Risk Management) pro-gram sees Family Violence Unit (FVU)officers knock on doors to ensure perpe-

trators are complying with court condi-tions and to make sure victims receiveadequate support.

“Victims of domestic violence have agreat need for support while separatedfrom their spouse or partner,” said FVUDet. Keith Moxley. “It could be guidancethrough the courts, but also financial ad-vice or counselling for any children in-volved.”

Though Moxley said officers are noton hand to be counsellors, they can pointvictims in the right direction for addi-tional help.

The long court process can also leavevictims feeling ignored and less likely toproceed wholeheartedly in court.

“The communication aspect is mostimportant for us,” said Moxley. “Theycan begin to think the system has forgot-ten about them.”

Moxley said it is a delicate situation insome cases because there are feelings oflove and regret after police intervention.He added that many victims want toback out of a charge, believing it will hurtthe person they love, despite the abuse.

He said the victims need to know thatthe courts are not only a tool to sever arelationship or put someone in jail,they’re also mandated to impose coun-selling.

“It’s a concrete way to force the ac-cused to get help.”

Officers are armed with an informa-tion package showing how court pro-ceedings work, forms for a victim-impactstatement, ideas on how to stay safe andcreate a safety plan and contact numbersof outreach services.

The protocol came out of work doneby then-Det. Kevin Guest, now a staffsergeant, and FVU D/Const VicDabuzinskas. It has also been rolled outin 51, 11 and 14 Divisions and is expectedto be adopted by other divisions.

Helping victims of domestic violence

16


Amental health team that pairsthe health care and justice sys-tems is planned to go Service-

wide.In its third incarnation in Scarbor-

ough, the Mobile Crisis InterventionTeam (MCIT), which teams a mentalhealth nurse with a police officer, hasbeen more effective than ever with anexpanding role in 41, 42 and 43 Divi-sions.

“It gets victims the help when theyneed it, and gets access to both thehealthcare and justice systems at once,”said Deputy Chief Kim Derry of Divi-sional Command. Derry, who oversawthe implementation of the first team,downtown in November 2000, said he

expects the teams to be Service-wide inthe near future. “It serves the publicwell, it serves the health system welland it’s good value for the money,”Derry said.

The teams are now found in 51 and52 Divisions teaming up with St.Michael’s Hospital, 11 and 14 Divisionsin partnership with St. Joseph’s HealthCentre, and the year-old upstart, whichpairs The Scarborough Hospital, whichincludes Grace and General campuses,with 41, 42 and 43 Divisions. The MCITnurses and officers are called to handlecalls with emotionally disturbed peo-ple, to assess whether the person needsfurther treatment at hospital, a referralto another community agency or

should be charged criminally.Primary Response officers need to

be first to the scene to ensure the safetyof MCITs but can then clear the call andhead back to the road.

Const. Paul Rowe, who partnerswith RN Eric MacMullin and the twoother RNs in the program, said the goalis to relieve the strain mental healthcalls place on the primary response of-ficers, by finding long-term solutions.

“Our motto is: no repeat cus-tomers,” said Rowe, of trying to findthe person the right support, or recon-nect that person with existing support.“If we refer them properly and givethem the help they need, we won’t seethem again.”

Crisis team finds efficiency in eastMCIT set to expand Service-wide


52 traffic fatalities in 2007 (previously lowest was 2001 with 56 deaths)

Alcohol-involved fatalities down 44%

Senior pedestrian deaths down 20%

18 www.torontopolice.on.ca/traffic


Move over or face lawMove over…protect us all.

It is the latest message to the public togive way to emergency vehicles trying tosave precious seconds on the way to ur-gent situations and to slow down whenemergency vehicles are stopped alongroadways.

In 2007, Toronto police joined forceswith the OPP, Toronto Fire Services,Emergency Medical Services and theprovince to deliver the message that sav-ing just seconds could be the differencebetween life and death.

The TPS Video Services Unit teamedup with Global News to create the DVD.Hosted by Global’s Nathan Downer, thevideo also chronicles the tragic eventsthat capture the message.

OPP Commissioner Julian Fantinocalled on drivers to realize their “sharedresponsibility” in making the roads safefor emergency workers.

“While everyone else is going awayfrom an emergency, our men and womenare going to the emergency – therein liesthe danger,” Fantino said, noting six OPPofficers have been killed in roadside col-lisions.

The DVD also highlights new legisla-tion in Ontario, requiring drivers to slowdown and move to the left when passingemergency vehicles with their lights onand stopped on the side of the road.

A first offence draws a $400-to-$2,000fine and three demerit points; a second

offence levies a $1,000-to-$4,000 fine, upto six months in jail and a licence sus-pension.

The video is available on police, fireand emergency medical services web-sites and has been distributed to drivingschools and media outlets across thecountry.

Transportation Minister Donna Cans-field said the law is designed to raise

public awareness before tragedy strikes.“Emergency service workers demon-strate tremendous courage going to workevery day and we owe it to them not toput their lives in danger.”

Traffic safety awarenesshas always been at theforefront of the Service. This ad advises thosedriving to leave out thealcohol for the night andfuel up on tea instead.The officer is about togive some terrible newson Christmas day.

TrafficServicesflashback


20


It was January 1, 1957, when the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force was formed, amalga-mating 13 police services of towns, villages and townships across what is now the city ofToronto. Officers from Leaside, Mimico, New Toronto, Weston, East York, Etobicoke, North

York, Scarborough, York, Forest Hill, Long Branch and Swansea all joined the Toronto force inpatrolling the streets of the city. A civilian body, the Metropolitan Board of Commissioners ofPolice, was charged with overseeing the new police force.

The Toronto Police Service has grown to become a world-class police agency in one of thelargest cities in North America and one of the most multicultural in the world. The policebudget has grown from over $12 million to over $750 million, expanding from 2,744 employ-ees to over 7,400 uniform and civilian members. Police officers, court officers, parking officersand civilian personnel now make up a sophisticated police service with 17 divisions and dozensof support squads and units, from Forensic Investigation Services to the Marine Unit.

Technology has also been at the forefront of the expansion with computers becoming a dailytool for officers after the first one arrived to crunch crime enforcement data in 1968. Officers,who once communicated through call boxes located on posts around the city, now check in viaradios or in-car computers where they can see occurrences as they come in and search computerdatabases. The arrival of the 9-1-1 emergency system in 1982, and ever-evolving communica-tion technology, has speeded up officer response to emergencies.

Through it all, there have always been dedicated men and women willing to serve and pro-tect their community. The Toronto Police Service continues to grow but salutes its past mem-bers and traditions for paving the values that it holds dear today.

t t li / it t li / i


Annual Reports through the decades...

1958 1960 1975


1983 19901986

Service by the numbers1957 2007

1,349

2,503,2811,380,775

92Cars 215Motorcycles 149

Criminal Code 34,571Highway Traffic Act 235,892

198,290496,348

Budget $12.6 million $786.2 million

Police officersCivilians

2,744241

5,5102,001

Offences

RobberiesBreak and EnterAssaultsStolen Autos

4323,7321,2203,695

5,96414,31924,669

8,447

Vehicles

Population

Personnel


Parking enforcement has grownmore sophisticated with wirelessmachines and pay-and-displaymachines replacing written ticketsand parking meters.

School liaison officers have been teaching safety toschool-age kids for decades. Traffic safety, calling 9-1-1and dealing with strangers are among the many crimeprevention topics.

Officers in action

24


Vehicles forall occasions

An officer patrols city streetson a wet night. At left, a traf-fic officer directs motoristsover loudspeakers.

Traffic officers drive in formation in 1955, at left. In2007, the Traffic Services Winged Wheels team per-formed at the 50th anniversary open house.


Evolvingtechnology

From the call boxes, put into effect in the late1800s to the early 1960s, officers communicatedwith station duty operators checking in on theirregular beat patrol and calling in help duringemergencies.

Communication to vehicles was used solely forurgent responses. In this picture, a female officer,required to wear a different uniform and performdifferent duties, speaks over a radio with a full-size receiver. Police women were unarmed andused for youth bureau and traffic assignments atthe time.

Technology eventually allowed computers tobe introduced to the cars, at left. At right, thetwo most recent in-car workstations that workvia a secure wireless network.

26


Communicationsthrough decades

Communications have come a long way over the past 50 years, frompatch cords to wireless digital links. Communication Services fieldedover 1.79 million calls in 2007, dispatching officers to 853, 933 events.Communications operators can dial in interpreters and use technology toanswer calls from the deaf community. Communications establishedradio interoperability with the Ontario Provincial Police in 2007. Com-munications also has GPS tracking of police vehicles to see where officersare on the road to keep them safe and better dispatch calls for service.

Switchboard operators patch callsfrom the public to police

Civilian specialists took over therole of police dispatchers in 1972and a new radio system was developed

At left, a Communications dispatcher workswith more-advanced equipment during the1990s. At bottom, the latest incarnation of po-lice communications equipment.


Original members of the Metropoli-tan Toronto Police Force (MTPF)stood shoulder to shoulder in 2007

to celebrate the birth of a world-class polic-ing service 50 years ago.

Hundreds of retired officers, who madeup the amalgamated MTPF at its birth onJanuary 1, 1957, packed the headquarterslobby on January 5 to celebrate the Service’s

50th anniversary.“There are legends in this great hall

today,” Chief Bill Blair told the 300-plus pastmembers and guests of honour, formerChiefs James Mackey, Jack Marks, WilliamMcCormack, David Boothby and Julian Fan-tino.

“We’ll go forward to honour your com-mitment, your legacy.”

During the reunion’s planning stages,Chief Blair recalled his late father, John.

“He would have loved to have been hereand be proud to share in your stories,” saidthe Chief, noting lightheartedly that some ofthe old stories being bandied about mayeven be true. Retired officer Jack Reid held amoment of silence for “friends, partners andcomrades” who couldn’t be there that day.

Legacy of service at HQ

Being on the force netted George Hyndman hiswife of over 40 years and a chance to be a hero. TheEtobicoke Township patrolman started walking theKingsway beat a year before the force amalga-mated.

Little did he know the pretty girl who crossedhis path each day, while he worked traffic controlsduring rush hour, would become his wife.

“I’d watch for her, I kept her on the red light alittle longer to take a look at her,” said Hyndman,who later asked her out to a policeman’s banquetmarking the end of the Etobicoke Township force.

Years later, he was the only one at the stationwhen a call came in for two boys caught on a mov-ing ice floe in Mimico Creek. He shot off in his yel-low car. When he arrived on scene, he removed hisgun belt and shirt, handed them to a bystander andwaded in the water after the boys who had fallenin.

One of the boys was Mike O’Neill, the sameMike O’Neill who Hyndman picked up as a train-ing constable years later and asked: “Do you knowGeorge Hyndman? He saved my life one time.”

A story from the day


When the clock struck mid-night on Dec. 31, 1956, andthe Metropolitan Toronto

Police Force came into being, Const.Jack Marks was on the job.

The tireless champion of the Serv-ice, who rose to Chief, was laid to restSaturday, March 3, after a funeral serv-ice at St. Andrew’s PresbyterianChurch.

Chief Bill Blair said that, in a visit inthe weeks before his death, the formerchief never wavered in his commit-ment to the Service.

“Jack’s first questions were regard-ing the Service and how we were. Hewas gravely ill but he never stoppedthinking about his Service and caring

about his city,” said Blair. Blair took time to detail Marks’ rise

through the ranks, from traffic officerto deputy in charge of field operations,before the hundreds gathered in tworooms at the small Scarborough churchwhere Marks served as an elder.

“He took the helm at an excitingtime in the organization,” the Chiefsaid. “Jack was the right man for thejob.”

Toronto police pipers, honourguard, war veterans, Mounted Unitand senior officers stood alongside theMarks’ family as the coffin wasbrought into the church by the Chief’sCeremonial Unit.

The OPP was also represented with

an honour guard. He had a strong be-lief in policing, said OPP Commis-sioner and former Toronto chief JulianFantino, of Marks.

“Jack was passionate about polic-ing. His passion and love of the job hastransferred to generations of police of-ficers,” the OPP commissioner said.“He was a demanding police chief whohad high expectations of himself andthe rest of us.”

Never phony, what you saw waswhat you got, Fantino said, adding thatbred loyalty among the ranks.

“In so many ways Chief Marks wasa courageous leader,” he said. “Most ofus would have followed him anywhereand we did.”

Service builder remembered

- Served nine monthsWorld War II- Married Joyce in 1949- Raised John, Karen andScott- Joined Service Sept. 4,1951- Transferred to Traffic HQin 1953- Promoted to PatrolSergeant in 1961- Made Staff Sergeant in1966, Inspector in 1969,- Superintendent in 1975and, less than a yearlater, promoted to StaffSuperintendent- Served as executiveofficer to chief, liaison topolice commission,commander of 5 District- Reached Deputy of FieldOperations in 1980- Appointed Chief on July1, 1984, serving untilOctober 1, 1989

Jack Marks1927 - 2007


Largest station springs to lifeMembers of 23 Division have

a new place to call home.The new station, at the cor-

ner of Kipling Ave. and Finch Ave. W.,officially opened on May 15.

“The quality facility was built ontime and on budget,” said TPS ChiefAdministrative Officer TonyVeneziano, of the $17.6 million project.

The 56,000-square-foot building isin a higher-profile place in the divi-sion, across from the busy AlbionMall.

“We’re in the midst of the commu-nity and more visible,” said 23 Divi-sion Insp. Kim Greenwood, of thefacility that houses 240 members.

“It’s not going to change how wepolice,” said Greenwood, noting that

officers will now be better equipped todo their job.

The station is one of many facilitiesbeing designed and built at this pointin the Service’s history.

Toronto Police Services Board chairAlok Mukherjee said 23 Division is thesecond example of the new generationof police facilities, following a similarblueprint to 43 Division, whichopened in 2006.

For unit commander Supt. RonTaverner, the building is a great gift toofficers who soldiered through theirdaily duties in the previous crampedKipling Ave. facility.

“We have space for things we neverconsidered in the past and space forgrowth,” said Taverner, during a chris-

tening ceremony attended by manypolice officers, faith leaders, commu-nity members and former Chief DavidBoothby, who was unit commander ofEtobicoke’s 2 District in 1985.

The new building also incorporatesenvironmental design considerationssuch as rainwater collection and use ofshade plants to cool the building.

Taverner also noted the building iseasily accessible because of its locationacross from the Albion Mall.

“Its location is community-friendly,” he said, adding that the newfacility is just another feather in thecap of the neighbourhood.

“It’s a wonderful community wehave here and we have a lot to beproud of.”

23 Division flashbackA trade magazine celebrates the opening ofthe No. 15 Division (which later became 23Division) at 2126 Kipling Ave. in 1961. Offi-cers worked at the division until moving totheir new building in the Spring.

30


The long-awaited move into themulti-faceted police facility at 9Hanna Ave. became a reality in

2007.The grand opening of the 285,000-

square-foot building, which had beenheld up for nearly two years becauseof a legal issue, occurred in late April.

“We were ready to move in, in mid-2005, but there was a very complicatedlegal issue between the city and theprevious property owner and thattook until November 2006 to resolve,”TPS CAO Tony Veneziano said.

The facilities on Strachan Ave. werestrained to begin with but had to be

torn down in any case to make way forthe Front St. extension.

The extension runs directly in frontof the Hanna Ave. building. The Serv-ice provided $7.1 million towards the$35 million overall cost of the facility,that houses the entire Traffic ServicesUnit, the dispatch and transportationsection of Court Services, CentralGarage and several other units.

With 300 parking spaces, the facil-ity houses vehicles in an indoor park-ing garage and on its roof.

It also houses a special projectsroom, classrooms, meeting rooms andinvestigative offices. Fleet Services

will also have an expanded stores areaand machine shop on site.

Traffic Services Supt. StephenGrant said the spacious front lobbywill no doubt be used to help launchmany of the Service’s traffic safety ini-tiatives.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility inevery way and it’s going to helpeverybody to do their job better, withdedicated space and appropriateequipment,” said Grant, noting thecommunity room just off the foyer willbe named in honour of the late ChiefJack Marks, a long-serving traffic offi-cer in the 50s and 60s.

Traffic building green-lighted

Fleet Services flashbackA photograph from Central Garage in 1958shows mechanics at work on Chevrolet scoutcars. Mechanics worked in the building until it closed in 2007 to make way for the Front St.extension.


AMarine Unit project aimed at cleaning upthe Don River gave two men a secondchance for a healthy life.

On May 30, Const. Cheryl Patchett led a groupof city volunteers to improve the conditions of theDon River Bank, under the Lake Shore Blvd.E./Don Valley Parkway ramp.

The garbage-strewn area, where three men per-manently settled and which other transient peopleused, posed safety concerns for those living there.

“When we got a close look …it became a con-cern about their health, public health and officersafety,” Patchett said.

In August 2005, the flooding along the DonRiver trapped several homeless people and poseda potential for serious injuries to rescuers.

It was understood that something needed to bedone.

Patchett quickly contacted the city and beganthe clean-up process.

She approached the three men living along theriver bank months earlier and explained her in-

tentions. Patchett said they were immediatelywary and thought they would be shipped off toshelters.

This was not the case. She partnered withStreets to Homes to ensure they devised a plan tomove them on their own volition.

Streets to Homes is a city program that at-tempts to resolve an individual’s homelessnesspermanently, before there is any enforcement ac-tivity.

The men finally agreed to the move and enteredthe Streets To Homes program and, when Patchettreturned for the May cleanup, two of the men werealready housed and living independently.

“They actually thanked us when we came backfor the cleanup day,” she said.

At the end of the project, they removed fourbarge-loads of bicycle parts, clothing, appliancesand stolen property.

Despite the drastic aesthetic improvement inthe area, Patchett was more pleased that two of thethree men moved out and obtained homes.

Homeless housed as part of Don River cleanup

32 www.torontopolice.on.ca/marine


He may still be a youngpup, and smaller thanmany of his four-legged

friends, but Talon comes armedwith intensity and enthusiasm.

The 11-month-old Belgian Ma-linois – who resembles a smallerversion of the typical GermanShepherd general-purpose policedog – joined Police Dog Servicesin 2007 as a bomb-detection dog.

“He’s young and just a fireball– he will not stop,” said handlerConst. Craig Tourangeau. “His in-tensity level is really a step upfrom a German Shepherd.”

PDS currently has four otherbomb-detection dogs, includinganother Belgian Malinois, who isstill on the job as a 13-year-old,along with three Labrador retriev-ers.

The detection dogs providesupport to frontline officers insearches to clear buildings or re-spond to specific bomb threats.

There are also three drug-de-tection dogs and two cadaver-spe-cific dogs.

Several general-purpose dogsare cross-trained to detectfirearms, including Tourangeau’sGerman Shepherd, Aldo.

Talon, who was bred by BadenK-9 of Vineland, Ontario, wastrained for eight weeks, alongwith Tourangeau, at Pearson In-ternational Airport by formerMountie Gary McCormack.

“We’re trained on many typesof explosives and we’re alwaysupdating the dogs because of theever-changing world of explo-sives,” said Tourangeau. “They“imprint” the scents on the dogsand put them through differentscenarios, from searching lockersto rooms to outdoor areas.

“We teach them they will notbe rewarded for finding, but forsitting, once they’ve found some-thing.”

The dogs love the constantwork.

“For a detector dog, it’s agame,” said Tourangeau, notingTalon is a tireless consumer of anyplaytime and never stops in his at-tempt at retrieval. “A detector dogshould never give up until theyfind what they’re looking for.”

From pup to police dogPDS get new bomb-detector dog


Walking together, faith leadersand 23 Division officers areseeing a difference on their

streets.In 2007, church pastors continued the

weekly ritual, walking the streets ofnorth Etobicoke alongside officers, soboth sides get to know their communi-ties.

“I think being with pastors softens theappearance of police in the community,”said Kipling Avenue Baptist Church pas-

tor Walter McIntyre, walking alongsideofficers wearing his white clerical collar.“The community understands that theirfaith leaders stand with police to keepthe community safe.”

One night in June, McIntyre, PastorKen Davis of the Thistledown BaptistChurch and Consts. Clint McEvoy, Jun-ior McLaughlin and Adam Hockadaywalked the Albion Mall and then into theJamestown neighbourhood – made upmostly of Toronto Community Housing

Corporation property.Pastors and police alternate in re-

sponding to kids and adults alike, andhand out flyers for the BBQ at the Elm-bank Community Centre, noting therewill be halal burgers for the many SomaliMuslims who live in the area. McEvoysaid they have to work, each visit, tomake a positive impression on the neigh-bourhood, following the Project XXXraids in 2006.

“A lot of people wanted the arrests tohappen but it took away a lot of theiryoung people or neighbours and that canbreed resentment,” McEvoy said.

“Seeing us out today tells them we’renot always here to arrest people.”

Pastor Ken Davis, of the ThistletownBaptist Church, a West Indian congrega-tion whose spire pokes out from behindthe new 23 Division, said north Etobi-coke and Jamestown are home to manyspirited communities.

“There is a community spirit here.The lawns might not be kept but there iscommunity and people talk to eachother,” said Davis, of the many kids andneighbours outside. “It’s a great place tolive.”

Leap offaith inJamestown

Officers walkthrough 23Dwith spiritualleaders

34


Watching youngsters learn toride horses with wide-eyedenthusiasm brought back

fond memories for Const. Terry Phebyof the Mounted Unit.

On June 6, the Urban Youth RidingProject, in partnership with theMounted Unit and The Riding Acad-emy and the Aboriginal PeacekeepingUnit, celebrated the Native LearningCentre’s latest graduating class at theHorse Palace.

Pheby walked alongside one youngrider during the riding demonstrationby six of the graduates, who displayedtheir newfound skills with horses, in-cluding mounting and riding in forma-tion.

“I still remember what it was likewhen I learned to ride… the magic inthe relationship you share with ahorse,” Pheby said.

“And I saw big changes in the kidsthrough this program – working as ateam, working around the horses andbuilding self-confidence.”

The 12-week program works withat-risk youth, aged 14 to 17, teachingthem how to care for and ride horses,while building positive relationshipswith the Service. In all, 14 studentsgraduated from the program.

Lessons onhorseback


In bursts of running, steadythrows and ever-fiercer tack-ling, the Toronto Oxmen

showed that the first-year squad isready to take on GTA teams.

The upstart squad, created andcoached by 51 Division officers,posted its first touchdowns on thescoresheet at the Rogers Centreafter being blanked in their first twogames of 2007.

They later succumbed to theMississauga Herd 27-14, in thehard-fought Pee Wee divisionmatch, in the South Central OntarioFootball League.

“I feel like we won,” said headcoach Const. Darren Arsenault afterthe game, of his team drafted fromRegent Park and St. Jamestownkids aged 12 to 15. “They learnedhow to be proud of themselves.”

Arsenault saw his squad facedown a suburban side with manymore players. “You can only tellthem to do it and now they wentout and did it.”

Arsenault said, despite beingfirst-time players, some of the teamhave already drawn interest fromuniversities.

“If they stay with this game,they could be playing football forthe rest of their lives.”

Arsenault said practicing threetimes a week is helping tremen-dously.

Tight end Silas Layne providedthe scoring for the-then scorelesssquad.

“I was so happy to score thatfirst touchdown,” said Layne. “Iwasn’t happy for myself but for thewhole team.”

Oxmen tackle first season

36


David Duong skates with thespeed and confidence he neverhad before. Tavene Shaw could-

n’t steady herself on her skates monthsago.

The two kids are among the 95 young-sters, aged eight to 10, who learned theirskills on ice from Toronto police officersas part of the Junior Blues program.

For 20 weeks, officers and civiliansteach the kids from Toronto CommunityHousing Corporation (TCHC) buildingsin 12, 31 and 32 Divisions how to navi-gate a series of pylons, shoot pucks andhave fun on the ice, during scrimmagesat the John Booth arena, near Jane andShoreham Sts.

“It’s nice to see the kids from theneighbourhood and interact with them,”said 31 Division Community Responseofficer Const. Scott Brown, who suited upthat day with fellow CRU membersConst. Matthew Butt and clerk Jennifer

McGrade.“Half of them didn’t know how to

skate so it was great to be able to showthem.”

Every child is outfitted with freeequipment, donated by the TCHC andbusinesses like National Sports.

ProAction Cops & Kids, a charity de-voted to linking officers with at-riskyouth, provides funding for the equip-ment, trophies and a year-end banquet atthe Ice Sports Centre in March.

TCHC recreation staff member Stevie

Taylor said the youngsters get a day atthe rink and an after-school program,once a week, to learn about healthylifestyles.

“At first, most kids can’t stand on theice,” said Taylor, who has been workingon the program for six years. “By the timethey get their sticks – they’re gone withit.”

He said the officers are making a greatimpression on the kids.

“The police officers do an amazingjob. They teach them how to stickhandleand speed-skate,” he said. “Most impor-tantly, they get to know the officers anddiscover they’re not all that bad.”

Kids lace up with help of officers


McCrae Lake is a fewhours from Toronto, buta world away for many

inner-city kids.It’s also the destination for a

unique week-long journey for kidsthrough the TPS Outreach Out-tripping Program (TROOP).

TROOP partners at-risk youth,aged 12 to 17, from across the citywith officers, teachers and com-munity outreach agency workersfor canoeing trips.

It all begins at SunnysideBeach, where the youngsters learnthe basics of canoeing in a coupleof days, but study mostly leader-ship skills and teamwork training.

The youngsters are accompa-nied by adult supervisors andlearn from Toronto Parks andRecreation staff members.

At McCrae Lake, near ParrySound, the canoes are portaged tothe water and paddled to another300-metre portage to the next bodyof water over the course of twodays. Deputy Chief Jane Dick pad-dled alongside kids in support of

the 2007 program.“Police and youth see each

other in a new light. It takes themout of their element so they can bethemselves and not put on afront,” she said.

There are no MP3s, cellphonesor internet connections.

Const. Mathew Crisp camealong for one of the trips for hissecond year.

He accompanied four teensfrom West Toronto Collegiate In-stitute and St. Mary’s Catholic Sec-ondary School on a trip that theymight otherwise never have taken.

“It’s an experience they wouldhave missed out on,” said Crisp,who has been an avid campersince age 14. “These guys had trustissues, not just with authority, butwith other kids,” said Crisp, whosaw a group of individuals bondinto a team.

He said that building relation-ships with the teenagers is themain goal, but also with the com-munity agency workers who ac-company the kids on the trip.

From individuals to TROOP

www.torontopolice.on.ca/communitymobilization38


For the second straight year, the Serv-ice invited dozens of teenagers totake a closer look at policing through

a unique summer employment program.The provincially funded Youth in Polic-

ing Initiative (YIPI) sees 100 youngsters,from 14 to 17, work in dozens of differentunits across the Toronto Police Service togive them an up-close and personal look

at the rewarding aspects of a career inpolicing.

Deputy Chief Keith Forde is proud tobe part of the program.

“This has to be one of the most satisfy-ing jobs I’ve done,” said Forde, of the pro-gram that pays youngsters a little over $10an hour and provides work in many facetsof the Service.

YIPI student Shandel Shande, 14, saidthe program was not only educational,“but it has taught us many life lessons.”

Program coordinator Danielle Francis

said the fact the students were involved inmeaningful work with the Service, and inthe community, meant the program wasonce again a success.

“They now see the Service in a positivelight…that’s something they’re going totake to their parents and friends.”

In 2007, over 600 applications were re-ceived for the 100 spots.

They now see theService in a positivelight…thatʼs some-thing theyʼre going totake to their parentsand friends

Positive police experience


Aggressive year-round recruitment cam-paigns targeting the city’s multi-culturalmakeup paid huge dividends in 2007.

Recruiters with the Service’s Employment Unitfocused their efforts on enlisting potential candi-dates from communities that typically don’t applyto become police officers.

On Nov. 17, hundreds of people came out to hearfrom the United Kingdom’s highest-ranking SouthAsian officer at the Ontario South Asian Police Of-ficers Association gala.

Tarique Ghaffur, deputy assistant commissionerof London’s Metropolitan Police Service, was thekeynote speaker at the event that also drew TPSBchair Alok Mukherjee and many TPS officers.

“The gala was a great venue to attract membersfrom the South Asian community to choose a careerin policing,” said Const. Feisal Rawji.

Two months earlier, recruiters attended KenyaDay festivities in an effort to attract Kenyans to theService.

“There was a great turnout and we need to reach

out to this community,” said recruiting officerConst. Neil Rambharack.

Visible minorities make up 16.9% of the Service,up from 15.6% in 2006 and 13.8% in 2005.

Recruiting Team Const. Gail Steed said the Serv-ice also ran strong campaigns targeted at women,and is pleased with the number emerging from therigorous selection process to take up policing ca-reers.

The Intensive Supplemental Conditioning Work-shop Initiative (ISCWI) is designed to help womenjoining the Service by helping boost their strengthand confidence. Its goal is to help female hopefulsdissolve the barriers that confront women in polic-ing.

“This ISCWI has been a tremendous help tothose who are almost there,” Steed said.

Since its implementation, about 85% of thewomen who participated in the program have beenhired. There are currently 952 women officers in theService, the highest-ranking being Deputy ChiefJane Dick.

Recruiting for diversity stepped up

www.torontopolice.on.ca/careers

40


A42 Division traffic officerproved herself a world-classcompetitor, claiming a

bronze medal in an internationalmartial arts competition.

Const. Natalie Moi representedCanada in Wushu Sanshou (alsoknown as free-sparring Kung-Fu) atthe November Wushu World Cham-pionships in Beijing that drew over1,400 athletes from 89 countries. Herloss at the championships came atthe hands of the gold-medal winnerfrom Great Britain.

The tireless competitor managedto compete at world-class level,without sponsorship, and finishthird, without her coach, at thechampionship tournament. Thechampionships were originally de-signed as a qualifying event for theBeijing Olympics, however the In-ternational Wushu Federation hadto remove the Sanshou event fromthe Games for lack of space.

Wushu, which was formerly re-ferred to as Chinese kung-fu, means“martial arts.” Moi describes san-shou as a part of the wushu stylethat is “ultimate fighting.”

“Anything goes,” she said. “Youcan punch, kick, grapple, take-down…you can do anything, evenuntil they pass out.”

Moi began studying martial artsat the age of five in Hong Kong. Herparents encouraged her to learn thesport so she could become stronger,using it as an exercise tool. Thatpractical thinking unleashed Moi’snatural ability to succeed in martialarts.

“I studied karate, tae kwon do,aikido, jujitsu…getting all blackbelts,” she said. “Some people likehockey, I like martial arts.”

She rose to the top, winning san-shou competitions and making aname for herself. The hard workand dedication led to a world stageto showcase her abilities.

Moi helped announce thatToronto will be hosting the 2009Wushu World Championships at aDecember press conference, withher colleagues from 42 DivisionTraffic on hand in support.

Constable a world-class competitor


Divisional boundaries

Central Field Command

11 Division, 209 Mavety St.416-808-110012 Division, 200 Trethewey Dr.416-808-120013 Division, 1435 Eglinton Ave. W.416-808-130014 Division, 150 Harrison St.416-808-140051 Division, 51 Parliament St.416-808-510052 Division, 255 Dundas St. W.416-808-520053 Division, 75 Eglinton Ave. W.416-808-530054 Division, 41 Cranfield Rd.416-808-540055 Division, 101 Coxwell Ave.416-808-5500

Headquarters, 40 College St.

416-808-2222

Area Field Command

22 Division, 3699 Bloor St. W.416-808-220023 Division, 5230 Finch Ave. W.416-808-230031 Division, 40 Norfinch Dr.416-808-310032 Division, 30 Ellerslie Ave.416-808-320033 Division, 50 Upjohn Rd.416-808-330041 Division, 2222 Eglinton Ave. E.416-808-410042 Division, 242 Milner Ave. E.416-808-420043 Division, 4331 Lawrence Ave. E.416-808-4300

42




Documents

Annual Report 2007:2007 Annual Report 5/27/08 9:57 AM Page 1 · Athletic Games as children inspect Bandit’s trading card. Annual Report 2007:2007 Annual Report 5/27/08 9:57 AM Page