Toronto Police Services Board

POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

2011-05-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

For me and the Board, one of the highlights of the year for policing in Toronto is the Police Officer of the Year Awards. This award "honours officers of the Toronto Police Service who have demonstrated exceptional skills, bravery, compassion and a deep commitment to making Toronto one of the safest cities in the world." I believe that the vast majority of our police officers are

AN OPEN LETTER TO PREMIER DALTON MCGUINTY

2011-05-10T14:40:00.000-04:00

Dear Premier McGuinty, I have read with great interest your public comments relating to the tentative agreement reached between the Toronto Police Association (TPA) and the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB). With great respect, I must say that decisions made at the provincial level are largely responsible for this deal. The province makes the rules under which municipal police services

TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED

2011-05-02T17:23:00.000-04:00

We are pleased that yesterday we reached a tentative agreement with the Toronto Police Association. You can read our joint statement here.

ELEVEN

2011-04-05T18:36:00.000-04:00

That is how many days we have been in face-to-face contract negotiations with the Association. We exchanged proposals in the context of: • The Board’s accountability to the residents and taxpayers of the City of Toronto (the people who pay for policing), • The fact that the City of Toronto is facing a nearly $800 million budget shortfall in 2012, and • That about 90 percent of the Toronto

MICHIGAN STATE POLICE

2011-03-26T17:21:00.000-04:00

Here is the statement from Director of the Michigan State Police and the USA Today story on the Michigan State Police's plan to close 21 posts across the state.

IN OZ

2011-03-15T10:49:00.001-04:00

Police wages continue to be a topic of conversation in countries around the world, including Australia.

HOW RELUCTANTLY THE MIND CONSENTS TO REALITY

2011-03-13T15:37:00.000-04:00

As the British author Norman Douglas once said, “How reluctantly the mind consents to reality!” As I sit here in my seventh day of face-to-face contract negotiations with the Toronto Police Association, where we have made negligible progress, I cannot help but wonder if they were speaking about Mike McCormack, TPA President. Around the world, communities are adapting to some harsh fiscal

While in England and Wales

2011-03-10T16:33:00.000-05:00

The issue of police wages are top of mind for the British home secretary, Theresa May. She recently said that pay cuts for police officers are essential in order to minimise front line job losses at forces in England and Wales. She went on to say that "There's no question that pay restraint and pay reform must form part of the package. If you are going to find savings, pay is a good place to

THE ARBITRATION TALK CONTINUES

2011-03-08T08:46:00.000-05:00

Today's Toronto Star editorial focuses on Ontario's arbitration system. Here is an excerpt: "Labour relations can be extraordinarily complicated and there are variations on the final offer concept. How it should be applied to essential workers in Ontario’s public sector warrants extensive debate. But Queen’s Park should start that discussion. With 10,000 transit workers about to be declared

ARBITRATION TALK

2011-03-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

Across Ontario's emergency services sector there seems to be increased talk and media coverage on the issue of arbitrated awards. You can read the stories here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE

2011-02-27T13:50:00.000-05:00

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “patience and fortitude conquer all things”. This could not be clearer than in the current round of contract negotiations between the Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Association. The Bargaining Committees met for four days this past week. In this time, we went back and forth on a number of non-monetary items from our proposals. Anyone who

BUDGETS, SALARIES AND POLICE SERVICE……

2011-02-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

Across the province, municipalities are at various stages of the budget process. For some, the process is complete and, for others, the process is only beginning. What remains consistent is that whether the municipality has its own police service, like Toronto, is part of a regional service, like Mississauga or uses the Ontario Provincial Police, like Thunder Bay, the cost of policing and the

POLICE BARGAINING 101

2011-02-11T15:49:00.000-05:00

Over the last few weeks there has been much discussion throughout the City regarding collective bargaining. The Police, the TTC and the City’s outside workers are all scheduled to be in collective bargaining at some point this year. You can read about it here. The Toronto Police Services Board (the Board) has already commenced collective bargaining with the Toronto Police Association (the

WINDSOR STAR

2011-02-10T16:29:00.000-05:00

An interesting article on police bargaining from the Windsor Star.

THE WORLD’S A TWITTER

2011-02-07T15:48:00.002-05:00

Suddenly, it seems as though all the world's a-twitter. - Newsweek Blogging and Tweeting. In 2007, we launched this blog with the intention of providing readers with information on the Board, what we do and events related to policing. Since then we have posted over 100 blogs ranging from bargaining, to the United Way campaign and to the long gun registry. Today, we join 190 million people

THE GATEHOUSE

2010-11-01T08:23:00.001-04:00

Throughout our city, there are a number of great organizations that you may never have heard of that do important work in partnership with the TPS.These organizations support our community policing model, where the community is a vital partner in our efforts to build safe and healthy neighbourhoods. One of these is The Gatehouse, a Toronto support centre that provides a

BOARD NAMES REVIEWER

2010-09-23T09:18:00.004-04:00

Earlier today, the Toronto Police Services Board approved the retention of The Honourable John W. Morden to conduct the Independent Civilian Review of the policing of the G20 Summit. You can read our news release here.Mr. Morden has vast experience in matters of public law and civil rights. He also spent considerable time on the bench, including as Associate Chief Justice of Ontario.In addition,

LONG-GUN REGISTRY

2010-09-22T18:50:00.002-04:00

This evening, a majority of the Members of the House of Commons voted to maintain the long-gun registry. You can read the stories here, here and here.This is great news.Never before have police boards, police chiefs and police associations come together in such a concerted manner. This cohesiveness has been critical during the drive to educate voters and parliamentarians on why the long-gun

UNPRECEDENTED MEDIA COVERAGE ON CRITICAL ISSUE

2010-09-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

As I read the papers this morning, I was taken by what is a seemingly unprecedented level of media coverage on an issue that has police boards, police services and police associations working together for a common goal.That is, of course, to save the long-gun registry; a critically important tool in both the prevention and investigation of crime.I found this letter from the Halifax Chronicle

NATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF THE LONG-GUN REGISTRY

2010-09-15T11:37:00.006-04:00

It is on a very rare and important occasion that the Board, the Service and the Association issue a joint statement.The National Day in Support of the Gun Registry is one of those occasions.As I have said previously maintaining the long-gun registry is critical to the safety of our officers and our communities.Why, I ask, would anyone be interested in disabling such an effective preventative and

TERMS OF REFERENCE

2010-09-09T21:15:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at 4:00PM, the Board will be holding a special meeting to consider the Terms of Reference for our Independent Civilian Review of the Policing of the G20 Summit.These Terms of Reference were drafted by Doug Hunt, who employed an inclusive, consultative process, incorporating the input from the community as well as key stakeholders and will be used by the

NATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF THE LONG GUN REGISTRY

2010-09-03T06:25:00.003-04:00

Over the last two weeks, there has been extensive coverage on a topic of the utmost importance to the Toronto Police Services Board, and the vast majority of organizations related to policing in Canada, including the Canadian Association of Police Boards (CAPB), the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and the Canadian Police Association.This issue, of course, is the long gun registry

A THOROUGH AND COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING

2010-07-29T13:54:00.003-04:00

There has been a tremendous amount of media coverage related to the G20 Summit and the different reviews that have been established following. On July 23, the Toronto Star ran an editorial No substitutes for full inquiry that stated “[t]he police services board should be commended for stepping into the vacuum and doing what it can.” You can read my letter to the editor regarding this editorial

INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW: SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT

2010-07-16T09:22:00.009-04:00

I believe that questions related to the policy, governance and oversight aspects of the policing of the G20 Summit are among some of the most important issues that the Toronto Police Services Board has faced in recent times. In order to better understand and address these issues, at our special Board meeting on July 6, 2010, we established the Independent Civilian Review of the Oversight of G20

INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW OF THE OVERSIGHT OF G20 POLICING

2010-07-06T11:07:00.002-04:00

Earlier today at a special Board meeting the Board approved a recommendation to establish an Independent Civilian Review.This is an Independent Civilian Review. It is not a public inquiry nor is it being conducted under The Public Inquiries Act. The Terms of Reference will be developed by the Reviewer in consultation with the Board.Once the Terms of Reference are in place, we expect that this

KEY MESSAGES - IN SUPPORT OF LONG GUN REGISTRATION IN CANADA

2010-05-26T14:45:00.015-04:00

Below are some key messages that I have recently received from the Canadian Association of Police Board (CAPB). The messages have been developed by the CACP committee that is working to stop passage of Bill C-391 that would end the registration of long guns in Canada.The information compiled by CACP is very noteworthy and should be used at every opportunity to respond to media, politicians or the

FCM Conference Panel - Towards Equity and Efficiency in Policing

2009-12-31T12:57:00.000-05:00

FCM Conference PanelTowards Equity and Efficiency in PolicingJune 2, 2008Speaking Notes for Chair Alok MukherjeeI. IntroductionI am pleased to have this opportunity to address the important issue of cost of municipal policing from the perspective of those who are responsible for providing civilian governance, namely the police boards and commissions.The spiralling cost of municipal policing is a

Let’s Tackle the Mismatches!

2009-12-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

CAPB Annual Conference 2009Sydney, Nova ScotiaPlenary Session: Crisis in PolicingAugust 14, 2009Speaking notes forAlok MukherjeeChair, Toronto Police Services BoardLet’s Tackle the Mismatches!I. INTRODUCTIONThat there is a crisis looming over municipal policing in Canada due to expanding demands, escalating costs, and an inefficient funding system, to name a few factors, has been widely accepted

The Cost of Policing in Toronto and the Annual Budget Dance

2009-12-31T12:52:00.002-05:00

Alok MukherjeeChair, Toronto Police Services BoardSure as winter comes every year, we are, once again, witnessing the annual questioning of the police budget. Reporters, editorial writers, certain individuals known for their scepticism on matters related to policing and concerned City Councillors are, once again, expressing worry about the growth of the police budget. However, except saying

Happy Holidays

2009-12-22T15:05:00.005-05:00

As we near the end of 2009, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the important work completed in the past year and to look forward to the year ahead. For the Toronto Police Services Board, 2009 was an extremely busy, productive and challenging year, as we built upon our previous work in a number of critical areas, such as dealing with human rights issues, developing environmental

CAPB PRESENTATION - LEST'S TACKLE THE MISMATCHES!

2009-08-21T11:19:00.015-04:00

Canadian Association of Police Boards Completes Twenty YearsThe annual conference of the Canadian Association of Police Boards (CAPB) was held this year from August 14 to 16, in beautiful Cape Breton. Police board members and Chiefs from across Canada met in Sydney for three days to discuss critical issues facing policing. The topics ranged from fiscal pressures to effective governance to

Blog Entry – Vice Chair Pam McConnell

2009-06-29T13:34:00.000-04:00

At its public meeting held on Thursday June 18, 2009, the Toronto Police Services Board announced the next steps in the development of a public transit safety framework. This important initiative will ensure that our public transit system is safe, effective, efficient, and contains appropriate oversight mechanisms.Currently, the TTC has about 100 special constables patrolling the transit system.

Managing for Value – Using Public Money Efficiently and Effectively

2009-05-26T10:04:00.007-04:00

John Barber, the veteran Globe and Mail columnist, says in his column of May 20 (“Police say ‘nay’ when it comes to disclosing cost of horses”) that “[b]y any rational standard, cutting the mounted unit is the first efficiency municipal leaders should institute as the police budget soars above a mind-boggling $1-billion for the first time.” Mr. Barber quotes Mariana Valverde, a professor of

Chair Mukherjee’s Blog Returns

2009-03-18T09:14:00.002-04:00

Several people have asked me if I would be resuming my blog. I am pleased to be back after a few months’ hiatus! Here is the first blog of 2009.Alok MukherjeeChair, Toronto Police Services BoardThe Federal Government’s Anti-Crime Legislation and A Public Health Approach to Community SafetyOn February 26, Prime Minister Harper held a news conference in Vancouver during which he announced that

14 MONTHS. 90+ BLOGS.

2008-12-31T11:39:00.010-05:00

Fourteen months ago, I launched this blog. It started with an entry on the start of the collective bargaining process with the Toronto Police Association.I had no idea where this blogging adventure would take me.Fourteen months later and I continue to be amazed by the feedback I get from regular readers and people who have recently come across it. I have heard from TPS members, members of other

ARBITRATION ORDER

2008-12-18T11:02:00.001-05:00

STATEMENT FROM ALOK MUKHERJEE, CHAIRTORONTO POLICE SERVICES BOARDThis morning, the Interest Board of Arbitration issued an order concerning the renewal of the collective agreement for Toronto Police Service members represented by the Toronto Police Association (TPA). The order brings to a close a process that began some 13 months ago.The Toronto Police Services Board would like to thank

Happy Holidays

2008-12-15T16:03:00.004-05:00

As we come to the end of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to look back on 2008 and to look forward to the year ahead of us.The Board is extremely proud of the members of the Toronto Police Service who, on a daily basis, work for and with our community to make Toronto a safer and healthier place to live. We see evidence of partnerships between police and the community all around us

WITHOUT YOU, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY

2008-12-11T12:06:00.005-05:00

WOW. Did you read this in the Toronto Sun today?Once again, the members of the Toronto Police Service have raised an amazing amount of money for the United Way of Greater Toronto. This year, the Service raised $600,000, exceeding its goal.I was delighted to join Deputy Chief Kim Derry, Staff Superintendent Tony Corrie, Campaign Chair, TPA President Dave Wilson, Senior Officers’ Organization

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

2008-12-10T15:41:00.002-05:00

The quality of the relationship between the Toronto Police Service and the community is of the utmost importance.On a daily basis, Service members work to foster and strengthen this ever-important relationship. The Toronto Police Services Board is extremely proud of their contribution in this critical area.I have blogged a couple of times on this issue. Therefore, I was delighted this morning to

REMEMBRANCE

2008-12-08T18:56:00.014-05:00

Today, members of the Toronto Police Service’s Winged Wheels had the honour of escorting the bodies of Canada’s most recent fallen soldiers and their families to the Coroner’s Office.Today, members of the Toronto Police Service will be reflecting on those Canadians who have lost their life in the service of their country.As I wrote in a previous blog last Remembrance Day, I will be thinking about

OPEN AND TANSPARENT – YEAR 2

2008-12-04T11:42:00.002-05:00

For many organizations, both public and private sector, this time of year is spent focusing on the budgets for the upcoming year. It is a time to reflect on the finances for the previous year and to prioritize and set goals for the coming year. For some, these discussions take place behind closed doors with very few contributing to the discussion.Not so for the Toronto Police Service and the

THE REVIEW OF THE ROOTS OF VIOLENCE

2008-11-27T05:39:00.003-05:00

I wanted to blog immediately after I saw the report written by former Chief Justice Roy McMurtry and Alvin Curling, The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence . I opted instead to wait to review the public and media reaction. I also had the opportunity to speak with Chief Justice McMurtry, in the course of his research. For those of us who are familiar with the issues highlighted in the report, it

CRIME PREVENTION WEEK 2008

2008-11-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

This morning I helped kick off Crime Prevention Week 2008 at Toronto Police Headquarters.Here are my remarks……..On behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, I want to welcome all of you to Toronto Police Headquarters as we kick off Crime Prevention Week 2008. This year’s theme is: “Invest in Your Future: Prevent Crime” and I can think of no theme more relevant or more fundamental for us today

IT IS TIME

2008-10-29T19:56:00.003-04:00

How many more times does the issue of a handgun ban have to be raised before the federal government realizes that the time has come for a handgun ban. This is the topic that has dominated this blog over the last year. (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here)The Toronto Police Services Board supports it and has made this issue a priority for the Board.The Chief of the Toronto

TOP 75 EMPLOYERS

2008-10-18T08:46:00.005-04:00

I have blogged about the Toronto Police Service working hard to be the employer of choice.It seems the Toronto Star agrees with us and named us one of the GTA’s Top 75 Employers.The criteria for this award included:· physical workplace,· work atmosphere,· health, financial and family benefits,· vacation and time off,· employee communications,· performance management,· training and skills

THE TPA'S SUPPORT

2008-10-15T16:52:00.013-04:00

I was delighted to read TPA President Dave Wilson’s open letter to me expressing his support for the election questions to federal candidates. It was especially refreshing as Mr Wilson and I see eye to eye on so very little these days.The purpose of these questions was to learn the positions of the federal candidates as they relate to policing in Toronto. In terms of the new officers, the

"Interim Wage Increase for TPA Members"

2008-10-09T09:59:00.001-04:00

STATEMENT FROM ALOK MUKHERJEE, CHAIRTORONTO POLICE SERVICES BOARDToronto - The Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Association are currently engaged in contract arbitration. Yesterday, Arbitrator William Kaplan issued an award which provided an interim wage increase of three percent (3%) to the base pay rates of Toronto Police Association members. This increase is retroactive

BOARD SEEKS CANDIDATES' POSITION ON CRITICAL COMMUNITY SAFETY ISSUES

2008-10-07T14:42:00.002-04:00

TORONTO: Toronto Police Services Board Chair Alok Mukherjee has sent a letter to candidates contesting the federal election in Toronto ridings seeking their positions on three issues critical to community safety and the efficient delivery of police services. The Board has asked the Chair to solicit candidates' positions because of its keen interest in the federal role in supporting public safety

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

2008-10-03T11:26:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I was delighted to proclaim the first Annual Occupational Health and Safety Day at the Toronto Police Service.The Toronto Police Services Board has a keen interest in the health and safety of all of the members of the Service. For the Board, our concern goes beyond health and safety and includes the overall wellness of our members. I believe that this commitment is part of what

POLICE CHIEFS WANT TO HALT PAY TO SUSPENDED COPS

2008-09-13T14:06:00.003-04:00

In July I wrote an op ed in The Toronto Star and blogged here and here on the need to allow for suspension without pay of police officers in certain circumstances. This is an issue that is of paramount importance to the Toronto Police Services Board.In fact,since 1997, the Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Service have made numerous recommendations to politicians for

CRIME. CRIME. CRIME. CRIME.

2008-09-12T13:52:00.003-04:00

It is day six of the federal election campaign and, as usual, I am watching it with great curiosity and interest. The federal party leaders are out and about, everyone making their first of a large number of stops in the vote-rich GTA. They talk about issues like infrastructure, manufacturing and families. They also talk about crime. If the party leaders want

DIVERSITY AND THE TORONTO POLICE SERVICE

2008-09-12T13:45:00.001-04:00

Yestderday, 77 new recruits joined the Toronto Police Service. I would like to share with you this article from today's Toronto Sun on the diversity of people who are coming to work for the Toronto Police Service. As I have said in previous blogs, here and here, the demographics of our recruits are changing to reflect the diversity that is Toronto.And that's a good thing.

SPARKING PUBLIC DEBATE

2008-09-05T13:15:00.005-04:00

Today The Toronto Sun has called for a review of the practice of paid duty by police officers in Toronto with its editorial on the subject. It appears that this is becoming a matter of significant public interest. This morning, on CFRB 1010, Jim Richards and his listeners also weighed in on the topic during the "Jim Richards Showgram."In Wednesday's blog I mentioned John Barber's column on paid

PAID DUTY

2008-09-03T16:45:00.003-04:00

In today's Globe and Mail, columnist John Barber deals with the subject of paid duty. He raises some thought provoking questions on a matter that has attracted considerable public attention. Here is the link to Barber's column.

WHAT DOES # 1 REALLY MEAN?

2008-08-27T11:08:00.003-04:00

The Toronto Police Association says that it wants its members to be number one. What does this really mean?The TPA likes to complain about many things, and never has much to say that is positive about the terms and conditions of employment for its members.Of late, the complaint has been that the Board refuses to ensure that police officers in Toronto are the highest paid in the province.I will

THE COST OF POLICING – SOME INTERESTING NUMBERS

2008-08-25T10:54:00.003-04:00

One has to give credit to Dave Wilson for being so single-minded. You ask him anything about policing in Toronto and he says: “It is the fault of the Toronto Police Services Board. If only the Board agreed to make our members the highest paid police officers in the country, all public safety issues will disappear.” I am not sure if this is an example of being single-minded or of having a

GOOD NIGHT DAVE. NO NEED TO LOSE SLEEP.

2008-08-22T15:58:00.006-04:00

TPA Prez Dave Wilson is very worried that we may lose 800 police officers. He blames the Toronto Police Services Board for causing him sleepless nights by supposedly refusing to make his members the best paid police officers in the country. This is precisely the reason why, in his nightmare scenario, up to 800 police officers will desert us.I confess that I am awestruck by Prez Wilson’s prowess

WHY I AM NOT “HEART-BROKEN” ABOUT GOING TO ARBITRATION: AN OVERVIEW OF THE MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION PROCESSES

2008-08-15T11:13:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, August 10, Justice John Murray concluded his mediation of the contract negotiations between the Board and the TPA. As I announced that evening, our next destination is arbitration. In some quarters, anguish has been expressed that for the first time in 10 years, we are going to arbitration.I do not believe that mediation and arbitration are signs of failure – they are very important

FAIRNESS AND RESPECT

2008-08-12T13:35:00.000-04:00

I am not surprised in the least that, true to form, TPA President Dave Wilson has resorted to the “blame game.” I had hoped that we would move on to arbitration as the means to solve our differences as respectfully and as quickly as possible. Arbitration isn’t about blame.I find it ironic in the extreme that Dave Wilson should be talking about respect and fairness when he shows absolutely no

DESTINATION: ARBITRATION

2008-08-10T16:17:00.003-04:00

After six days in mediation with the assistance of the Honourable Mr. Justice John Murray, we regret to announce that we have been unable to make progress toward the resolution of the collective agreement. At the outset, I would like to thank Justice Murray for his selfless efforts over the course of these six days in trying to assist the parties in attaining a more positive result.Although we

OPERA NOT OVER UNTIL THIS SCORE OF TEENS SINGS

2008-08-09T15:16:00.005-04:00

This inspiring article from this morning's Toronto Star may have been the first that you have heard of the organization ProAction Cops and Kids.This exceptional organization is the largest private funder of Toronto Police programs for at-risk youth. We are proud to be affiliated with them.

It’s Getting Louder

2008-08-05T15:20:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in a post last week the calls for a gun ban are getting louder.Here is what the Toronto Star said in today's editorial on the issue.

Toronto Police Service Caribana Kick-Off

2008-08-05T09:43:00.001-04:00

Toronto Police Service Caribana Kick-OffAugust 1, 2008Speaking Notes for Chair Alok MukherjeeChief Blair, Councillor Stintz, Mr. Joe Halstead, Mr. Rick Gosling, honoured guests, members of the Toronto Police Service, our Youth in Policing Initiative students, and members of the community:On behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, it gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you here today.

Increasing the Volume on the Gun Ban

2008-07-31T13:12:00.005-04:00

Gun violence and the need for a gun ban are issues that I have blogged about on numerous occasions. They are issues that I believe are of the utmost importance for all residents of Toronto.I am very pleased to see that volume on these issues is increasing:*Members of the Toronto Community Housing’s communities committee yesterday took steps to start to curb gun violence. You can read the Toronto

TODAY'S GLOBE AND MAIL

2008-07-26T14:44:00.003-04:00

Today's Globe and Mail had two very insightful articles on the Toronto Police Service. You can read them here and here.

COMBATTING RACISM ON THE WORLD STAGE

2008-07-25T14:40:00.000-04:00

Earlier this summer I had the privilege of representing the Canadian Coalition of Cities against Racism and Discrimination at UNESCO’s 3rd World Forum on Human Rights in Nantes (France). It was here that UNESCO launched an international coalition of cities against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. I was honoured to join the other regional representatives, and Pierre Sané,

YESTERDAY'S OP ED

2008-07-22T17:40:00.001-04:00

I have received feedback, from different audiences, on my op ed in yesterday's Toronto Star.Could it be that the much needed public policy dicussion on the suspension of police officers with pay has started?

PRESSING NEED FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION

2008-07-21T15:38:00.003-04:00

My op ed on the suspension of police officers with pay appeared in today's Toronto Star.There is a pressing need for public discussion on this significant public policy issue. It is my hope that through the op ed and my previous blogs we will be able to engage both the public and the legislators in a fruitful discussion that ultimately leads to much needed amendments to the Police Services Act.

Much Needed Amendments to the Police Services Act

2008-07-07T20:49:00.002-04:00

You may have read today’s editorial in the Toronto Star regarding the issue of suspension with pay for police officers. I blogged about this in February and was pleased to see this issue finally starting to get the mainstream attention that it so rightly deserves.Let me explain.Under the Police Services Act, a police officer cannot be suspended without pay unless s/he is convicted of a criminal

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

2008-07-02T15:33:00.003-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS to the women of the Toronto Police Service who are helping build Habitat for Humanity houses for deserving Toronto families.Members of the Toronto Police Service donate thousands of volunteer hours to various worthy causes. The Habitat for Humanity project is one of the finest examples of the ways in which our members - in this case, women -are making a tremendous contribution to

GUNS BY THE NUMBER

2008-06-24T14:32:00.004-04:00

I have spent the weekend thinking about numbers as they relate to guns in this city and what can be done to decrease those numbers. Here are the numbers:Total number of firearms seized in 2007 by the Toronto Police Service was 2603.• 817 of these firearms were identified as crime guns.• 368 of these crime guns had their origins proven, of those• 190 (51.5% of the 368)

OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARD

2008-06-13T12:17:00.004-04:00

GUEST BLOGGER - JUDI COHEN, MEMBER OF THE TORONTO POLICE SERVICES BOARDLast night I had the honour of representing the Toronto Police Services Board at the Officer of the Year Award event. This award, created by the Toronto Board of Trade, recognizes Toronto Police Service officers who have significantly contributed to making Toronto one of the safest cities in the world. This year, there were 23

LIFE-SAVERS IN THE TIME OF NEED

2008-06-08T14:49:00.001-04:00

I have blogged before on the importance of Victim Services. Christina Blizzard's column in today's Toronto Sun puts a personal face on the important role that Victim Services plays in people's lives.

THE POLICE OFFICER OF THE MONTH AND YEAR AWARDS

2008-06-06T16:40:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month I blogged about Constable Butt, one of the recipients of the Police Officer of the Month Award. In the lead up to the Police Officer of the Year awards at the Toronto Board of Trade next week, I want to provide you with some background on the awards.The Police Officer of the Month and Year Awards were initiated in 1967 by the Toronto Board of Trade young professionals. The

FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES

2008-05-30T15:28:00.001-04:00

On Monday June 2, 2008, I am speaking at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual General Meeting in Quebec City. I am joining Frank Beazley, Chief of the Halifax Regional Police and Gaétan Labbé, Chief of the Sherbrooke Police Service for what I am sure will be a lively discussion on equity and efficiency in policing. You will see from today’s Toronto Sun article that this issue is

UPDATE: "CITY-BASED MEASURES TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE"

2008-05-28T09:55:00.003-04:00

Here is a link to the province’s letter to the federal government.

"CITY-BASED MEASURES TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE"

2008-05-27T09:14:00.004-04:00

The city is buzzing this morning with the new anti-gun measures that Mayor Miller discussed yesterday. These recommendations, in a staff report"City-Based Measures to Address Gun Violence", include a zoning bylaw to restrict the use of firing ranges to the police, military and provincial and federal governments and "prohibit establishments that manufacture, assemble,warehouse and/or distribute

OFFICER OF THE MONTH

2008-05-16T15:26:00.002-04:00

The Toronto Police Service is filled with wonderful members. Members who, every day, go above and beyond the call of duty to help make Toronto one of the safest cities in the world. Every day, our Service members face life and death situations and, every day, our members are heroes.As the Chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, attending the Police Officer of the Month awards, and the Police

POLICE WEEK

2008-05-13T18:57:00.001-04:00

I attended the kick-off of Police Week yesterday. This year’s theme is one that is very important to the Toronto Police Services Board, “Working with Today’s Youth to Build Safer Communities”.Here are my remarks.Mayor Miller, Chief Blair, Mr. William Mendes, honoured guests, members of the Toronto Police Service and members of the community:On behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, I want

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

2008-05-04T19:17:00.005-04:00

The cornerstone of our recruitment and retention program at the Toronto Police Service is to become the employer of choice for new recruits and people transferring from other services. In recognition of this, we have been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and the inaugural winner of Ontario’s Psychologically Healthy Workplaces Award .The Ontario Medical Association released this

ONTARIO PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE AWARD

2008-05-02T09:15:00.003-04:00

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know that nurturing a healthy workplace at the Toronto Police Service is of key importance to the Toronto Police Services Board. We are working hard to ensure that the Toronto Police Service is the employer of choice for new recruits and people coming from other services. As you will see from my quote in the Toronto Sun today, the health

EXCELLENT NEWS

2008-04-29T16:10:00.003-04:00

Excellent news today on the handgun ban.Toronto Sun LinkToronto Star (Link)Globe and Mail (Link)

THE NOT SO GLOBAL SEARCH FOR POLICE RECRUITS

2008-04-25T11:51:00.002-04:00

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

POLICING THE TTC

2008-04-22T08:59:00.005-04:00

Policing the TTC: Update from the Chair of the Toronto Police Services BoardPrior to the meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board on Thursday April 17, 2008, there had been media reports that the TTC was considering arming its Special Constables with Tasers. I would like to share with you details of how the TPSB has responded to this matter.At its meeting last Thursday, the Board considered

VICTIM SERVICES

2008-04-12T12:42:00.010-04:00

I was pleased to read about Victim Services, an important program that works closely with the TPS and the TPSB, in today’s Toronto Star. Earlier this week I had the privilege of speaking at the Chief's Gala in support of Victim Services. Here are my remarks.Good evening.On behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, I am delighted to join all of you in this event to raise vital funds for an

EMPOWERED STUDENT PARTNERSHIP

2008-04-09T12:05:00.001-04:00

This is a great program. Read about it in today’s Toronto Sun (Link)

TORONTO’S GUN VIOLENCE STRATEGY

2008-04-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

This morning, I presented to the Executive Committee at City Hall as part of their update on the Toronto Gun Violence Strategy. I spoke of the need for a handgun ban as part of an overall anti-violence strategy. For those of you who read this blog regularly, you will know that this is an issue that is of extreme importance to the Toronto Police Services Board. You can read my previous entries

THE BEST OF THE EDITORIALS

2008-04-06T12:24:00.003-04:00

This insightful editorial from today's Toronto Sun is a good addition to my ongoing series on diversity.Toronto is a global city nowBy SUN MEDIAOkay, StatsCan. We get it. We get it, we get it, we get it.Almost half of Toronto's population (46.9%), according to the 2006 census results, is visible minority.Yawn. That's old news.It's so old that for years the city erroneously reported on its website

CANADA'S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

2008-04-03T22:49:00.004-04:00

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

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

2008-04-01T15:32:00.001-04:00

As part of this series on diversity, I would like to share with you an excerpt from my speech on the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, held at the Headquarters on March 20, 2008.Many years ago, the great African-American scholar, W E B DuBois, had said that the greatest problem of the twentieth century is “the problem of the color line”. Well, we have left the

STRONG WOMEN: STRONG WORLD

2008-03-28T10:22:00.001-04:00

On March 7, 2008, I was honoured to join the Honourable Margarett Best, Councillor Sandra Bussin, and Acting Chief Jane Dick at an International Women’s Day event at Toronto Police Headquarters.Here is an excerpt from my speech:It is a pleasure to greet you all today on behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, as we gather to celebrate a very important event, the International Women’s

WELCOMING “GENERATION Y”

2008-03-19T12:09:00.001-04:00

There has been much discussion on how best to address the challenges that “Generation Y”, or ”Yers”, present to employers who are seeking to attract the best and the brightest into their workforces.“Yers” are usually defined as those who were born between 1977 and 2000. Fortune magazine claims “Yers” are the most high maintenance, yet potentially most high performing generation in history

ISN'T IT IRONIC?

2008-03-14T20:23:00.006-04:00

I woke up this morning to both relatively good news and bad news, the irony of which is not lost on me.The good news is that, according to the Toronto Sun editorial and a report in the Toronto Star a Macleans’ magazine report shows that Toronto’s crime rate is only 12.6% above the national average and that we are ranked 26 on the list of Canada’s 100 most dangerous cities. To quote the Toronto

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

2008-03-07T10:04:00.002-05:00

In the coming weeks, I will be blogging about diversity and how it plays a part in our drive to be the employer of choice for new recruits – uniform and civilian alike – and those transferring from other services. As I mentioned in a previous blog (Link), we are hiring more men and women than ever before who come from many different backgrounds. We are committed to making sure that the Toronto

Tasers and Councillor Michael Walker

2008-02-29T16:13:00.004-05:00

This might come as a bit of a jolt to Toronto Councillor Michael Walker – but he is wrong!The Toronto Sun is reporting that Councillor Walker wants to see a moratorium on the purchase of additional Tasers by the Toronto Police Services.A few points of clarification for the Councillor –1. The TPSB has not made a decision to equip front line officers with Tasers.2. The fact is that two Coroners'

FAMILY DAY BLAHS

2008-02-25T10:11:00.003-05:00

This is from Sunday's Toronto Sun.Family Day blahsCheers for the Police Services Board for standing up to the union's whiningBy ROB GRANATSTEINWell thank goodness that's done. Family Day, I mean. Finally the ads, public relations campaign and outright whining by the Toronto Police Association is over. Memo to TPA President Dave Wilson: No one stole anything from you. Not your lunch. Not your

Funding of police services

2008-02-22T15:36:00.003-05:00

There was a very interesting article in the London Free Press earlier this week about the debate between the London Police Services Board and London City Council on the police services budget. This is a great opportunity to talk about how the Toronto Police Service is funded.The legislative authority for the budget process is found under section 19 of the Police Services Act. You will see that

DEFINING PROGRESS

2008-02-21T08:50:00.001-05:00

The original intent of this blog entry was to discuss John Spears’ story in The Toronto Star last week on the cost of benefits at the City of Toronto, essentially comparing the city’s soaring benefits costs with the same soaring costs at the Toronto Police Service. This is not a “Toronto issue”. In fact, this issue is affecting public and private sector employers throughout North America. We

SUSPENSION WITH PAY

2008-02-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

Recently, after yet another news story about police officers who continue to draw their salary while suspended from duty, a friend of mine asked me to explain why police officers were not treated the same as other working people. She was puzzled that uniformed police officers cannot be suspended without pay even when charged with the most heinous offences. It is a question that many people ask;

PAYING POLICE OFFICERS' LEGAL FEES

2008-02-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

With the recent stay of the charges against six former drug squad members, there has been much speculation about whether the City will be paying their legal fees. Since this matter is currently before the Courts, I will not comment upon it.However, I can provide background information about paying officers’ legal fees.First, it is not a matter for the City at all. It is a matter for the Police