I am extremely pleased that the Toronto Police Service has been recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers . You can see the full list and read about the criteria in the Toronto Star special section in today’s paper.
As I mentioned in previous blogs, diversity plays a large part in our drive to be the employer of choice for new recruits – uniform and civilian alike – and those transferring from other services.
The Toronto Police Service has an ongoing commitment to continue and improve on the good achievements we have made so far. Having been named as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers means success, but should not be taken as an invitation to rest on our laurels. We are continuing to work with and within our community to ensure the Toronto Police Service reflects the diversity that is Toronto.
The following article from today’s Toronto Star highlights how we do this.
Police are on the lookout for top recruits
Officers staff booths at job fairs, community events to meet and encourage prospective new applicants
April 03, 2008
Paul IrishStaff Reporter
The Toronto Police Service is no longer content to sit on its hands and admire the mountain of job applications it gets every year.
If you demand the best, then sometimes you have to go out and look for it yourself.
And that's exactly what police staff have been doing the past few years – attending community functions, job fairs and other events looking for potential officers who may not have thought of policing as a career.
Staff-Sgt. Riyaz Hussein, 41, the officer in charge of recruiting, says there will always be enough people coming to headquarters with resumés, but that often the "cream" doesn't apply.
By attending community events and other social functions, Hussein says the force can meet one on one with potential candidates, especially members of the city's various cultural and ethnic communities.
He points out that, although the police service does not have specific quotas on visible minority hires, it does want a workforce that reflects the diverse community that Toronto has become.
"Each individual is hired on his or her own merit as a person," says Hussein, who grew up in Scarborough but was born in Tanzania. "We're just looking for the top men and women."
Police forces across North America realize that policing may not be the career of choice for many cultures, but they know that if they can connect with them in person at such things as job fairs, they may be able to make an impression.
Amaan Dawood, 32, is an example of a newly minted constable who joined the service after chatting with recruitment officers during a community event.
Born in Kenya but raised in the GTA, Dawood holds a degree in urban and regional planning from Ryerson University. Because of a glut in his field, he worked in clothing retail for 10 years.
A police officer friend planted the seed for a career change, but it wasn't until early 2006 when, by pure chance, he pursued the idea. Dawood, a Muslim, was participating in the annual Ismaili charity walk, a function where Hussein was manning the information booth.
"We had a great talk," Dawood says. "I had a lot of my questions answered. He made me feel comfortable and I was pretty well sold."
Dawood has now became part of the force's one-on-one mentorship program, guiding other potential recruits through the process.
Hussein says visible minority recruits are not necessarily expected to become links to their ethnic communities, although anything they can bring to the table – such as a different language – is a plus.
He stresses that all Toronto police officers have "cultural competency," which allows them to conduct their jobs fairly and efficiently, and with sensitivity to all involved.
According to Hussein, the latest graduating class of 89 recruits in January was composed of 20 per cent women and 33 per cent visible minorities. About 64 per cent have completed post-secondary education and 18 per cent have previous policing or military experience. And 62 per cent speak languages other than English, including Albanian, Arabic and even American Sign Language.
As I mentioned in previous blogs, diversity plays a large part in our drive to be the employer of choice for new recruits – uniform and civilian alike – and those transferring from other services.
The Toronto Police Service has an ongoing commitment to continue and improve on the good achievements we have made so far. Having been named as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers means success, but should not be taken as an invitation to rest on our laurels. We are continuing to work with and within our community to ensure the Toronto Police Service reflects the diversity that is Toronto.
The following article from today’s Toronto Star highlights how we do this.
Police are on the lookout for top recruits
Officers staff booths at job fairs, community events to meet and encourage prospective new applicants
April 03, 2008
Paul IrishStaff Reporter
The Toronto Police Service is no longer content to sit on its hands and admire the mountain of job applications it gets every year.
If you demand the best, then sometimes you have to go out and look for it yourself.
And that's exactly what police staff have been doing the past few years – attending community functions, job fairs and other events looking for potential officers who may not have thought of policing as a career.
Staff-Sgt. Riyaz Hussein, 41, the officer in charge of recruiting, says there will always be enough people coming to headquarters with resumés, but that often the "cream" doesn't apply.
By attending community events and other social functions, Hussein says the force can meet one on one with potential candidates, especially members of the city's various cultural and ethnic communities.
He points out that, although the police service does not have specific quotas on visible minority hires, it does want a workforce that reflects the diverse community that Toronto has become.
"Each individual is hired on his or her own merit as a person," says Hussein, who grew up in Scarborough but was born in Tanzania. "We're just looking for the top men and women."
Police forces across North America realize that policing may not be the career of choice for many cultures, but they know that if they can connect with them in person at such things as job fairs, they may be able to make an impression.
Amaan Dawood, 32, is an example of a newly minted constable who joined the service after chatting with recruitment officers during a community event.
Born in Kenya but raised in the GTA, Dawood holds a degree in urban and regional planning from Ryerson University. Because of a glut in his field, he worked in clothing retail for 10 years.
A police officer friend planted the seed for a career change, but it wasn't until early 2006 when, by pure chance, he pursued the idea. Dawood, a Muslim, was participating in the annual Ismaili charity walk, a function where Hussein was manning the information booth.
"We had a great talk," Dawood says. "I had a lot of my questions answered. He made me feel comfortable and I was pretty well sold."
Dawood has now became part of the force's one-on-one mentorship program, guiding other potential recruits through the process.
Hussein says visible minority recruits are not necessarily expected to become links to their ethnic communities, although anything they can bring to the table – such as a different language – is a plus.
He stresses that all Toronto police officers have "cultural competency," which allows them to conduct their jobs fairly and efficiently, and with sensitivity to all involved.
According to Hussein, the latest graduating class of 89 recruits in January was composed of 20 per cent women and 33 per cent visible minorities. About 64 per cent have completed post-secondary education and 18 per cent have previous policing or military experience. And 62 per cent speak languages other than English, including Albanian, Arabic and even American Sign Language.
