I wanted to engage in some thoughtful consideration before I commented on the article that appeared last week in the Toronto Sun (Link) about a so-called global search for cops.
The article didn’t sit well with me. The article claims that police forces are on a global search for recruits. In the case of the Toronto Police Service, this statement is entirely untrue.
In terms of the Toronto Police Service, all of our recruiting takes place in Ontario. We receive applications from around the world, and are always pleased to welcome qualified candidates from other jurisdictions. These foreign applications are a result of Toronto’s worldwide reputation as a great city to live and work in - and our benefits and compensation package – not as a result of foreign recruiting efforts.
For our part, the Toronto Police Service does do extensive local recruiting. As I have talked about in past blogs (Link to Blog 1, Blog 2), our recruiting is aimed at continuing to ensure that the Toronto Police Service is the employer of choice for the best and the brightest.
How do we attract the best and the brightest? By offering the most exciting job opportunities in law enforcement in the most diverse and exciting city in Canada. In addition, we provide a very appealing benefits and compensation package. You will see below, information from the recruiting section of the Toronto Police Service’s website (Link).
It is evident that the President of PAO has no knowledge of how successful our recruiting efforts continue to be. Our recruiters have brought the world to the TPS without going on expensive junkets to seek out foreign candidates, as he recommends. The diversity we want and need is in Toronto - one of the most diverse cities in the world. Our recruitment team recognizes the strength of the local community and has worked very hard to give meaning to the Board's commitment that our Service must reflect the world that is our community.
