This insightful editorial from today's Toronto Sun is a good addition to my ongoing series on diversity.
Toronto is a global city now
By SUN MEDIA
Okay, 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 that Toronto's visible minority population was greater than 50%, after the Toronto Star erroneously jumped the gun in 1998, wrongly predicting in screaming headlines that would happen by 2000.
In fact, other communities in the GTA have already gone over the 50% mark, with their visible minority populations growing even faster than ours.
The real question is, what does it mean for all of us?
First, many good things -- a diverse workforce able to compete in a global economy, an incredible array of cultural, entertainment and sporting events, great restaurants, exciting stores and businesses offering us food, produce, goods and services from around the world.
Forget the outdated idea of Toronto as a "world-class" city, which speaks to a sense of envy of others and an inferiority complex.
Toronto today is a global city and for all its challenges, a city that works, from its quality of life to its relatively low crime rate to the ability of its citizens to get along.
But diversity has also brought problems and challenges.
Among them, a chronic lack of English as a second language teachers in our schools, contributing to low student achievement, because Ottawa sets immigration policy largely in isolation from Toronto, which, along with the GTA, accepts about half of all immigrants to Canada.
Our school board has foolishly decided to set up a token "Africentric" school for a few hundred students more than a year from now, instead of confronting and addressing an unacceptable, system-wide failure rate of up to 40% for black students. Then the board becomes indignant when one of its own trustees, Josh Matlow, rightly asks how it plans to address similarly high failure rates among students of Portuguese, Hispanic and other origins.
Well? ... How?
We have too many foreign-trained engineers driving cabs, too many foreign-trained doctors not allowed to practice here despite a doctor shortage because we've been slow to recognize their credentials and integrate them into our system.
We avoid, out of misguided notions of political correctness, honest discussions about the reality of racism, the problem of black crime, the resentment many whites -- often immigrants themselves -- feel toward "equity" programs they believe discriminate against them and their children, in order to make up for past sins against others they had nothing to do with.
It's time for honest talk about these issues.
The statistical question is over -- Toronto is a diverse city and its increasing diversity will be marked by every new census.
The challenge now is to make Toronto work for all of us, regardless of where we come from.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
CANADA'S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS
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.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
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 twentieth century behind. Sadly, as events locally and globally daily remind us, we have not left behind the problem of denial of many people’s basic rights to life, liberty, dignity and equal treatment because of racism, bigotry and ethnocentrism. This is why this day that we are commemorating is so very important. On this day, declared by the United Nations, we remember the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination that so many countries have signed and yet so few have fully enforced. On this day, we take stock of how well we have done in eliminating this scourge from the organizations for which we are responsible. For this reason, I am extremely pleased that since last year, we have begun to observe this day here at Headquarters.
For the Toronto Police Services Board, eliminating racism and building an equitable and inclusive organization is a matter of the highest priority.
We believe that there must be an absolute intolerance of any systemic policies, practices or procedures as well as of any individual expressions or actions that have an adverse impact on any member of our society because of race, colour, ethnicity, culture, language, nationality or religion.
We believe also that we must include people from different backgrounds at all levels of the police service, so that members of all the communities in this City are full participants in the work of this organization.
And we believe as well, that all members of the public are entitled, at all times, to courteous, fair and equitable services from us, with full recognition of and respect for their background and identity.
The Board has shown its commitment to the principles of equity, inclusion and anti-racism through its policies and through its expectation of meaningful results in relation to these principles. To this end, I am very proud particularly of the Race and Ethnocultural Equity Policy that this Board has approved unanimously. This policy supersedes our previous Race Relations Policy. And as its wording indicates, our emphasis is on equity of results or outcomes. As far as I am concerned, it is only by results that organizations must be judged, not by their good intentions or demonstrations of generosity.
I encourage you to take a look at our policy, which is on display in this foyer.
Because of our emphasis on results, I am heartened by the remarkable progress that has taken place in changing the very face of this organization. From enhanced outreach, that extends into all of Toronto’s diverse communities, to a strong and visible recruitment effort, to our focus on the promotional process – we are taking active steps to ensure that our police service truly reflects our City.
Through initiatives such as a comprehensive employment systems review and an ambitious Human Rights Charter project to bring about organizational change, we will create an inclusive, anti-racist organization in which all our policies, procedures and practices will comply with the tenets of our Race and Ethnocultural Equity Policy.
We should take pride in the progress that we have made. At the same time, we know well that a great deal of critical work remains to be done to ensure that our Service is free from discrimination of any kind.
I am hopeful that our collaborative attempt to eliminate racial discrimination from our midst will succeed.
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 twentieth century behind. Sadly, as events locally and globally daily remind us, we have not left behind the problem of denial of many people’s basic rights to life, liberty, dignity and equal treatment because of racism, bigotry and ethnocentrism. This is why this day that we are commemorating is so very important. On this day, declared by the United Nations, we remember the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination that so many countries have signed and yet so few have fully enforced. On this day, we take stock of how well we have done in eliminating this scourge from the organizations for which we are responsible. For this reason, I am extremely pleased that since last year, we have begun to observe this day here at Headquarters.
For the Toronto Police Services Board, eliminating racism and building an equitable and inclusive organization is a matter of the highest priority.
We believe that there must be an absolute intolerance of any systemic policies, practices or procedures as well as of any individual expressions or actions that have an adverse impact on any member of our society because of race, colour, ethnicity, culture, language, nationality or religion.
We believe also that we must include people from different backgrounds at all levels of the police service, so that members of all the communities in this City are full participants in the work of this organization.
And we believe as well, that all members of the public are entitled, at all times, to courteous, fair and equitable services from us, with full recognition of and respect for their background and identity.
The Board has shown its commitment to the principles of equity, inclusion and anti-racism through its policies and through its expectation of meaningful results in relation to these principles. To this end, I am very proud particularly of the Race and Ethnocultural Equity Policy that this Board has approved unanimously. This policy supersedes our previous Race Relations Policy. And as its wording indicates, our emphasis is on equity of results or outcomes. As far as I am concerned, it is only by results that organizations must be judged, not by their good intentions or demonstrations of generosity.
I encourage you to take a look at our policy, which is on display in this foyer.
Because of our emphasis on results, I am heartened by the remarkable progress that has taken place in changing the very face of this organization. From enhanced outreach, that extends into all of Toronto’s diverse communities, to a strong and visible recruitment effort, to our focus on the promotional process – we are taking active steps to ensure that our police service truly reflects our City.
Through initiatives such as a comprehensive employment systems review and an ambitious Human Rights Charter project to bring about organizational change, we will create an inclusive, anti-racist organization in which all our policies, procedures and practices will comply with the tenets of our Race and Ethnocultural Equity Policy.
We should take pride in the progress that we have made. At the same time, we know well that a great deal of critical work remains to be done to ensure that our Service is free from discrimination of any kind.
I am hopeful that our collaborative attempt to eliminate racial discrimination from our midst will succeed.
Friday, March 28, 2008
STRONG WOMEN: STRONG WORLD
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 Day.
This day is a celebration of the collective power of women past, present and future. On this day, every year, we remind ourselves of the social, economic and political barriers faced by women worldwide, while recognizing the tremendous achievements of women in virtually every part of the world. International Women’s Day has thus become a day to celebrate the great distance that humanity has travelled in improving the status of women, and to re-dedicate to the long journey that yet remains to be completed.
Canada's theme this year, Strong Women: Strong World, draws in part from one of the fundamental beliefs underlying the modern women's movement, that "a woman's place in society marks the level of civilization of that society."
Marilyn Waring, the New Zealand feminist, academic and politician, shows in her works that it is not women alone who have suffered and lost because they are yet to occupy their rightful place, but societies themselves. On this day, we do well to remember Waring’s wonderful phrase, “counterfeit equality,” as a salutary reminder that true, genuine equality will only come when women truly counted.
To say this is by no means to disregard or discount women’s many achievements as leaders, policy-makers, caregivers, educators, and international peacemakers. Examples of women playing such vital roles can be found everywhere, including in our communities and in the Toronto Police Service.
It is in recognition of just such achievements that awards will be given today to two Service members, civilian and uniform, on behalf of all of the female members who received Service awards in 2007. These awards are a symbol of the Board’s commitment that true and genuine equality for women is an important organizational priority.
Today, plaques will also be presented to Ms. Florence Wong and Ms. Talat Muinuddin, two community members who have given tirelessly to improve the lives of others.
There are countless women in this city who contribute so much every day. In honouring Florence and Talat, we honour each and every one of these magnificent women. We thank them for their gift of time, their incredible energy and their compassion. To echo the theme of this event, strong women create a strong world. Closer to home, they create a strong community, a strong workplace, a strong police service.
From celebrating the work and contribution of women like today’s honourees, we take hope that change is not only necessary, but is on its way.
Today, we renew our determination to hasten the arrival of that change by remembering the immortal words of Mother Jones who said: “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
Thank you.
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 Day.
This day is a celebration of the collective power of women past, present and future. On this day, every year, we remind ourselves of the social, economic and political barriers faced by women worldwide, while recognizing the tremendous achievements of women in virtually every part of the world. International Women’s Day has thus become a day to celebrate the great distance that humanity has travelled in improving the status of women, and to re-dedicate to the long journey that yet remains to be completed.
Canada's theme this year, Strong Women: Strong World, draws in part from one of the fundamental beliefs underlying the modern women's movement, that "a woman's place in society marks the level of civilization of that society."
Marilyn Waring, the New Zealand feminist, academic and politician, shows in her works that it is not women alone who have suffered and lost because they are yet to occupy their rightful place, but societies themselves. On this day, we do well to remember Waring’s wonderful phrase, “counterfeit equality,” as a salutary reminder that true, genuine equality will only come when women truly counted.
To say this is by no means to disregard or discount women’s many achievements as leaders, policy-makers, caregivers, educators, and international peacemakers. Examples of women playing such vital roles can be found everywhere, including in our communities and in the Toronto Police Service.
It is in recognition of just such achievements that awards will be given today to two Service members, civilian and uniform, on behalf of all of the female members who received Service awards in 2007. These awards are a symbol of the Board’s commitment that true and genuine equality for women is an important organizational priority.
Today, plaques will also be presented to Ms. Florence Wong and Ms. Talat Muinuddin, two community members who have given tirelessly to improve the lives of others.
There are countless women in this city who contribute so much every day. In honouring Florence and Talat, we honour each and every one of these magnificent women. We thank them for their gift of time, their incredible energy and their compassion. To echo the theme of this event, strong women create a strong world. Closer to home, they create a strong community, a strong workplace, a strong police service.
From celebrating the work and contribution of women like today’s honourees, we take hope that change is not only necessary, but is on its way.
Today, we renew our determination to hasten the arrival of that change by remembering the immortal words of Mother Jones who said: “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
Thank you.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
WELCOMING “GENERATION Y”
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 because they are entering the workplace with more information, greater technological skill and higher expectations of themselves and others than previous generations. According to Time magazine, “Yers” want a work-life balance where every minute has meaning. They are not interested in the work styles of their Boomer parents.
So – what do “Yers” want?
An interesting job with many changes and challenges
Work-life balance
Superior training
Access to cutting-edge technology
Where can they find all that? The Toronto Police Service.
It is no fluke that the Toronto Police Service is positioned to be the employer of choice for ”Yers”. The Board and the Service have worked hard to attain this position. As I mentioned last week, (Employer of Choice) our objective is to be an employer of choice for highly qualified and motivated young people from all backgrounds.
With retirements and a rate of new hiring that is higher than ever in the history of this Service, the proportion of “Yers” in the organization is increasing rapidly. It is estimated that some 18% of our workforce is already made up of “Yers.” In fact, a full 20% of our uniform employees are “Yers.” On the civilian side, they constitute 14% of the employees. These numbers are bound to keep growing.
What do we offer that will encourage members of this group to come to us as well as to stay with us? Here are some of the factors that, I believe, make us an attractive long-term employer for “Yers”.
Employment with Toronto Police Service opens the door to one of the most exciting career opportunities in Canadian law enforcement. Our Service works in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan and diverse communities. Recognizing and embracing this diversity in all its forms is one of our highest priorities in the way we serve the community. Our emphasis on neighbourhood policing, culturally competent services, strong community linkages and preventative strategies, for example, means that working for us offers many opportunities to anyone who is creative and innovative, loves challenges, and is interested in serving the community.
The Toronto Police Service is a large and complex organization with an amazing range of functions that require a wide variety of technical, professional, linguistic and cultural skills and expertise. As a result, people with drive and a desire to try their hand at doing different things can have many different careers while working for the Service. Where else can you move from working with youth in high schools to the Guns and Gangs Task Force to the Community Mobilization Unit to the Sex Crimes Unit to Information Technology Services or to supervisory or managerial positions?
When it comes to career advancement, we value initiative, achievement, concern for community wellbeing, integrity and demonstrated ability over length of service. No longer is length of service the main or only criterion for moving ahead in the Toronto Police Service. Employees who possess those other attributes that I have just mentioned can move up sooner than you think. If moving up is not the thing for someone, but moving around is, the Toronto Police Service is the place to be!
As an employer, we are serious about making changes that will enable our employees to maintain balance between their work life and their family life. Thus, for some members, shift work may assist them to achieve a balance. Others are employed in non-shift jobs and find this arrangement is better. In addition, we also have provisions for alternate arrangements, such as job sharing.
As part of our commitment to a healthy balance between work and family, we also provide pregnancy leave top-up to 80% of salary. As well, members receive generous vacation and other types of time off. Many members accumulate additional paid time off through overtime and court appearances.
As an employer, we believe in the importance of life-long learning. We value and encourage higher education for our employees. Our excellent Training & Education Unit provides many different learning opportunities. In collaboration with one of Toronto’s premier post-secondary institutions, we offer a number of leadership training programs.
Some of the training takes place away from work. Many members choose to upgrade their education in their off hours. We provide certain opportunities for reimbursement of part of the tuition in order to encourage members to upgrade their qualifications.
Policing in general, and the Toronto Police Service, in particular, is fast becoming more technologically sophisticated. Technology is used for many functions, including for investigative, administrative, financial, human resources management, training and education, communication and many other purposes. For example, our child pornography investigators have achieved many successes through the use of technology.
A career with the Toronto Police Service offers challenges that will appeal to any generation – and “Yers” in particular!
“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 because they are entering the workplace with more information, greater technological skill and higher expectations of themselves and others than previous generations. According to Time magazine, “Yers” want a work-life balance where every minute has meaning. They are not interested in the work styles of their Boomer parents.
So – what do “Yers” want?
An interesting job with many changes and challenges
Work-life balance
Superior training
Access to cutting-edge technology
Where can they find all that? The Toronto Police Service.
It is no fluke that the Toronto Police Service is positioned to be the employer of choice for ”Yers”. The Board and the Service have worked hard to attain this position. As I mentioned last week, (Employer of Choice) our objective is to be an employer of choice for highly qualified and motivated young people from all backgrounds.
With retirements and a rate of new hiring that is higher than ever in the history of this Service, the proportion of “Yers” in the organization is increasing rapidly. It is estimated that some 18% of our workforce is already made up of “Yers.” In fact, a full 20% of our uniform employees are “Yers.” On the civilian side, they constitute 14% of the employees. These numbers are bound to keep growing.
What do we offer that will encourage members of this group to come to us as well as to stay with us? Here are some of the factors that, I believe, make us an attractive long-term employer for “Yers”.
Employment with Toronto Police Service opens the door to one of the most exciting career opportunities in Canadian law enforcement. Our Service works in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan and diverse communities. Recognizing and embracing this diversity in all its forms is one of our highest priorities in the way we serve the community. Our emphasis on neighbourhood policing, culturally competent services, strong community linkages and preventative strategies, for example, means that working for us offers many opportunities to anyone who is creative and innovative, loves challenges, and is interested in serving the community.
The Toronto Police Service is a large and complex organization with an amazing range of functions that require a wide variety of technical, professional, linguistic and cultural skills and expertise. As a result, people with drive and a desire to try their hand at doing different things can have many different careers while working for the Service. Where else can you move from working with youth in high schools to the Guns and Gangs Task Force to the Community Mobilization Unit to the Sex Crimes Unit to Information Technology Services or to supervisory or managerial positions?
When it comes to career advancement, we value initiative, achievement, concern for community wellbeing, integrity and demonstrated ability over length of service. No longer is length of service the main or only criterion for moving ahead in the Toronto Police Service. Employees who possess those other attributes that I have just mentioned can move up sooner than you think. If moving up is not the thing for someone, but moving around is, the Toronto Police Service is the place to be!
As an employer, we are serious about making changes that will enable our employees to maintain balance between their work life and their family life. Thus, for some members, shift work may assist them to achieve a balance. Others are employed in non-shift jobs and find this arrangement is better. In addition, we also have provisions for alternate arrangements, such as job sharing.
As part of our commitment to a healthy balance between work and family, we also provide pregnancy leave top-up to 80% of salary. As well, members receive generous vacation and other types of time off. Many members accumulate additional paid time off through overtime and court appearances.
As an employer, we believe in the importance of life-long learning. We value and encourage higher education for our employees. Our excellent Training & Education Unit provides many different learning opportunities. In collaboration with one of Toronto’s premier post-secondary institutions, we offer a number of leadership training programs.
Some of the training takes place away from work. Many members choose to upgrade their education in their off hours. We provide certain opportunities for reimbursement of part of the tuition in order to encourage members to upgrade their qualifications.
Policing in general, and the Toronto Police Service, in particular, is fast becoming more technologically sophisticated. Technology is used for many functions, including for investigative, administrative, financial, human resources management, training and education, communication and many other purposes. For example, our child pornography investigators have achieved many successes through the use of technology.
A career with the Toronto Police Service offers challenges that will appeal to any generation – and “Yers” in particular!
Friday, March 14, 2008
ISN'T IT IRONIC?
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 Sun editorial, “(this) suggests we must be doing something right.”
The bad news is that, according to another Toronto Sun report, “[a] new shotgun-shell firing revolver called The Judge could be the next big bad thing in Toronto’s gangland arsenal.”
I agree wholeheartedly with Staff Inspector Brian Raybould when he says in the Sun article, “[a]ny firearm in the city of Toronto is a bad firearm.”
The Toronto Police Services Board has been on the record repeatedly in calling for a ban on handguns for purposes other than law enforcement.
It is time that the federal government takes a realistic look at crime in Canada and realizes that the key to any anti-violence strategy is a ban on handguns for purposes other than law enforcement.
Perhaps the irony is lost on Minister Day.
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 Sun editorial, “(this) suggests we must be doing something right.”
The bad news is that, according to another Toronto Sun report, “[a] new shotgun-shell firing revolver called The Judge could be the next big bad thing in Toronto’s gangland arsenal.”
I agree wholeheartedly with Staff Inspector Brian Raybould when he says in the Sun article, “[a]ny firearm in the city of Toronto is a bad firearm.”
The Toronto Police Services Board has been on the record repeatedly in calling for a ban on handguns for purposes other than law enforcement.
It is time that the federal government takes a realistic look at crime in Canada and realizes that the key to any anti-violence strategy is a ban on handguns for purposes other than law enforcement.
Perhaps the irony is lost on Minister Day.
Friday, March 7, 2008
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
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 Police Service reflects this variety – and by extension, the City it serves - at all levels.
Let me explain what being an employer of choice means to me. Quite simply, an employer of choice is one that ranks among the top choices of the best and the brightest of those from all backgrounds who are seeking a profession to pursue and a workplace for it. And, further, an employer of choice is one that retains its employees for the long term.
What is particularly exciting to me is that we are pursuing the goal of being an employer of choice at a time when the Service is growing significantly, and is engaged in hiring more new members than ever before.
There are a number of factors that can help us in achieving our goal.
We offer, without question, some of the most exciting job opportunities. There are few workplaces where, in the course of one’s employment, one can have different careers, in areas as diverse as the Mounted Unit, Forensic Identification Service, the Guns and Gangs Task Force, Corporate Planning, Community Mobilization, Sex Crimes Unit and Sexual Exploitation Section. Because of this exciting prospect, an employee with drive, ambition, innovation and creativity need never be bored or fall into a rut at the Toronto Police Service.
Besides, we offer a very appealing benefits and compensation package. You will see below, information from the recruiting section of the Toronto Police Service’s website (Link)
Let me explain what being an employer of choice means to me. Quite simply, an employer of choice is one that ranks among the top choices of the best and the brightest of those from all backgrounds who are seeking a profession to pursue and a workplace for it. And, further, an employer of choice is one that retains its employees for the long term.
What is particularly exciting to me is that we are pursuing the goal of being an employer of choice at a time when the Service is growing significantly, and is engaged in hiring more new members than ever before.
There are a number of factors that can help us in achieving our goal.
We offer, without question, some of the most exciting job opportunities. There are few workplaces where, in the course of one’s employment, one can have different careers, in areas as diverse as the Mounted Unit, Forensic Identification Service, the Guns and Gangs Task Force, Corporate Planning, Community Mobilization, Sex Crimes Unit and Sexual Exploitation Section. Because of this exciting prospect, an employee with drive, ambition, innovation and creativity need never be bored or fall into a rut at the Toronto Police Service.
Besides, we offer a very appealing benefits and compensation package. You will see below, information from the recruiting section of the Toronto Police Service’s website (Link)
But in a city like Toronto, with its unique demographics and its socio-economic diversity, being an employer of choice goes beyond the pay and the perks that we offer. An extremely important consideration is how we, as an employer, adapt and respond to the needs and expectations of those who come to work for us.
That is what I will be examining over the coming weeks.
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