Toronto Police Service

1834 creation to 1859 reforms

The Toronto Police Service was founded in 1834 when the city of Toronto was first created from the town of York. (Prior to that, local able-bodied male citizens were required to report for night duty as special constables for a fixed number of nights a year on the pain of fine or imprisonment in a system known as "watch and ward".)

The Toronto Police is one of the English-speaking world’s oldest modern municipal police departments; older than, for example, the New York City Police Department which was formed in 1845 or the Boston Police Department which was established in 1839. The London Metropolitan Police of 1829 is generally recognized as the first modern municipal department. In 1835, Toronto retained five full-time constables—a ratio of about one officer for every 1,850 citizens. Their daily pay was set at 5 shillings for day duty and 7 shillings, 6 pence, for night duty. In 1837 the constables’ annual pay was fixed at £75 per annum, a lucrative city position when compared to the mayor’s annual pay of £250 at the time.

From 1834 to 1859, the Toronto Police was a corrupt and notoriously political force with its constables loyal to the local aldermen who personally appointed police officers in their own wards for the duration of their incumbency. Toronto constables on numerous occasions suppressed opposition candidate meetings and took sides during bitter sectarian violence between Orange Order and Irish Catholic radical factions in the city. A provincial government report in 1841 described the Toronto Police as "formidable engines of oppression". Although constables were issued uniforms in 1837, one contemporary recalled that the Toronto Police was "without uniformity, except in one respect—they were uniformly slovenly." After an excessive outbreak of street violence involving Toronto Police misconduct, including an episode where constables brawled with Toronto's firemen in one incident, and stood by doing nothing in another incident while enraged firemen burned down a visiting circus when its clowns jumped a lineup at a local brothel, the entire Toronto Police force, along with its chief, were fired in 1859.

1859 to 1900

The new force was removed from Toronto City Council jurisdiction (except for the setting of the annual budget and manpower levels) and placed under the control of a provincially mandated Board of Police Commissioners. Under its new Chief, William Stratton Prince, a former infantry captain, standardized training, hiring practices and new strict rules of discipline and professional conduct were introduced. Today's Toronto Police Service directly traces its ethos, constitutional lineage and Police Commission regulatory structure to the 1859 reforms.

In the 19th century, the Toronto Police mostly focused on the suppression of rebellion in the city—particularly during the Fenian threats of 1860 to 1870. The Toronto Police were probably Canada's first security intelligence agency when they established a network of spies and informants throughout Canada West in 1864 to combat US Army recruiting agents attempting to induce British Army soldiers stationed in Canada to desert to serve in the Union Army in the Civil War. The Toronto Police operatives later turned to spying on the activities of the Fenians and filed reports to the Chief Constable from as far as Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and New York City. When in December 1864, the Canada West secret frontier police was established under Stipendiary Magistrate Gilbert McMicken, some of the Toronto Police agents were reassigned to this new agency.

In 1863, the Toronto Police were also used as "Indian fighters" during the Manitoulin Island Incident when some fifty natives armed with knives forced the fishery inspector William Gibbard and a fishery operation to withdraw from unceded tribal lands on Lake Huron. Thirteen armed Toronto police officers, along with constables from Barrie, were dispatched to Manitoulin Island to assist the government in retaking the fishery operation, but were forced back when the natives advanced now armed with rifles. The police withdrew but were later reinforced and eventually arrested the entire band but not before William Gibbard was killed by unknown parties.

In the 1870s, as the Fenian threat began to gradually wane and the Victorian moral reform movement gained momentum, Toronto police primarily functioned in the role of "urban missionaries" whose function it was to regulate unruly and immoral behaviour among the "lower classes". They were almost entirely focused on arresting drunks, prostitutes, disorderlies, and violators of Toronto’s ultra-strict Sunday "blue law"

In the days before public social services, the force functioned as a social services mega-agency. Prior the creation of the Toronto Humane Society in 1887 and the Children’s Aid Society in 1891, the police oversaw animal and child welfare, including the enforcement of child support payments. They operated the city's ambulance service and acted as the Board of Health. Police stations at the time were designed with space for the housing of homeless, as no other public agency in Toronto dealt with this problem. Shortly before the Great Depression, in 1925, the Toronto Police housed 16,500 homeless people that year.

The Toronto Police regulated street-level business: cab drivers, street vendors, corner grocers, tradesmen, rag men, junk dealers, laundry operators. Under public order provisions, the Toronto Police was responsible for the licensing and regulation of dance halls, pool halls, theatres, and later movie houses. It was responsible for censoring the content of not only theatrical performances and movies, but of all literature in the city ranging from books and magazines to posters and advertising.

The Toronto Police also suppressed labour movements which were perceived as anarchist threats. The establishment of the mounted unit is directly related to the four-month Toronto streetcar strike of 1886, when authorities called on the Governor General's Horse Guard Regiment to assist in suppressing the strike.

20th century

As for serious criminal investigations, the Toronto Police frequently (but not always) contracted with private investigators from the Pinkerton’s Detective Agency until the 20th century when it developed its own internal investigation and intelligence capacity.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the Toronto Police under Chief Constable Dennis "Deny" Draper, a retired Brigadier General and former Conservative candidate, returned to its function as an agency to suppress political dissent. Its notorious "Red Squad" brutally dispersed demonstrations by labour unions and by unemployed and homeless people during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Suspicious of "foreigners", the police lobbied the city of Toronto to pass legislation banning public speeches in languages other than English, curtailing union organization among Toronto's vast immigrant populations working in sweat shops.

After several scandals, including a call by Chief Draper to have reporters "shot" and his being arrested driving drunk, the city appointed in 1948 a new Police Chief from its own ranks for the first time in the department's history: John Chisholm, a very able senior police inspector. In 1955, the Metropolitan Toronto Board of Police Commissioners was formed in preparation for the amalgamation of the 13 police forces in the municipality, Metropolitan Toronto, into a unified police force with Chisholm as chief of the unified force. Unfortunately, Chisholm was not up to the politics of the Chief's office, especially in facing off with Fred "Big Daddy" Gardiner, who engineered almost single-handedly the formation of Metropolitan Toronto in the 1950s.

On January 1, 1957, the Toronto Police merged with the other municipal forces in the metropolitan area to form the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force:

With amalgamation, the force grew in size and complexity, and Chisholm found himself unable to manage the huge agency and its Byzantine politics. In 1958, after a number of conflicts with Gardiner and members of the newly expanded Metropolitan Toronto Board of Police Commissioners, Chief Chisholm drove to High Park on the city's west end, parked his car and committed suicide with his service revolver. The late Staff Superintendent Jack Webster, one of the officers who arrived at the scene of the Chief's death and who would upon his retirement in the 1990s become the Force Historian at the Toronto Police Museum, would later write, "Suicide is a constant partner in every police car."

In 1960, Lawrence "Larry" McLarty became the force's first Black officer and paved the way in transforming the hiring of minorities into the policing.

In 1990, the Board of Police Commissioners was renamed as the The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board, and, upon the creation of the amalgamated City of Toronto in 1998, it became the Toronto Police Services Board, administering the Toronto Police Force.

21st century

Today, the Toronto Police Service is responsible for overall local police service in Toronto and works with the other emergency services (Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Fire Services) and other police forces in the GTA including:

York Regional Police

Peel Regional Police

Halton Regional Police

Durham Regional Police Service

Ontario Provincial Police

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the RCMP)

For most of 2005, the police union and the Toronto Police Services Board (the civilian governing body) were involved in lengthy contract negotiations. The rank and file had been without a contract since the end of 2004, and conducted a work-to-rule campaign in the fall of 2005. The police force is an essential public service and are legally prohibited from striking. The Toronto Police Service launched their social media strategy on July 27, 2011 and "has the most active Twitter accounts listed under a single police force in Canada"

Controversies and allegations of misconduct

In 1988, Toronto Police were under scrutiny for the fatal shooting of schizophrenic Lester Donaldson. The shooting was the first of eight over the next four years, and the latest in series of shootings since the late 1970s, in which mostly unarmed Black Canadians were victims. Three days after his death, the Black Action Defence Committee, a group of local activists, was formed. The group made headlines when they introduced the issue of race in the coroner's inquest into Donaldson's killing. In 1990, Toronto police officer David Deviney was charged with manslaughter in connection with the killing, though he was later acquitted.

On May 4, 1992, tension between Toronto Police and the city's Black community reached its peak. After the fourth police killing of a young Black man, in as many years, a peaceful protest on Yonge Street later turned into a riot. 30 people were arrested and 37 police officers were injured in the riot.

A mandatory Coroner's Inquest took place into the police killing of 17-year-old Jeffrey Reodica. Although accounts differ, it is generally accepted that Reodica was part of a group of Filipino teenagers pursuing a group of white teenagers on May 21, 2004 in Scarborough, following altercations between the two groups. Plainclothes Toronto police officer Det.-Const. Dan Belanger and his partner Det. Allen Love were in the process of arresting Reodica when he was shot three times by the officers. The teen died in hospital three days later. Belanger and his partner, Det. Allen Love, were eventually cleared by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) who after investigating the matter found that there were no reasonable grounds to lay a charge. According to the SIU, Reodica brandished a knife at officers. A knife was reportedly recovered at the scene.

In response to the recommendations of the Coroner's Inquest jury, Former Chief William Blair recommended that all plainclothes police officers be issued arm bands and raid jackets bearing the word 'Police' in an effort to increase their visibility in critical situations. Unmarked cars, which are already equipped with a plug-in police light, will also be supplied with additional emergency equipment, including a siren package. The proposals will be phased in over three years beginning in 2008. Undercover officers will also have to wear, carry or have access to standard police use-of-force options such as pepper spray and batons.

In 2004, eight people were shot by Toronto Police, six of them fatally. SIU investigations deemed all case actions justified.

In 2005, the police force was faced with a spike in shootings across Toronto and increased concern among residents. Police Chief William Blair and Mayor David Miller asked for additional resources and asked for diligence from residents to contend with this issue. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty promised to work with Toronto to fight crime.

In July 2007, Toronto Police were involved in an international incident in which their members pepper-sprayed, tasered, and handcuffed members of the Chilean national soccer team in an attempt to keep control of crowds after their semi-final match in the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. A police spokesman explained on CBC Radio on the programme Here and Now that police took action against individual members of the Chilean team when they "displayed aggressive behaviour" by vandalizing a bus and arguing with fans. The actions of the police were criticised by the TV and print media in Chile, and initially also in Canada. FIFA president Sepp Blatter later apologized to the Toronto mayor for the incident, and instigated disciplinary action against the officials and players of the Chilean team.

On July 27, 2013, 18-year-old Sammy Yatim was shot and killed by Toronto Police officer James Forcillo on the 505 Dundas streetcar after threatening other passengers and the police with a knife. On August 19, 2013, Forcillo was charged with second-degree murder. In January 2016, Forcillo was convicted of attempted murder.

In January 2016, four Toronto police officers were arrested and charged with "nine counts of obstructing justice and eight counts of perjury".

Funding

As a division of the municipal government of Toronto, the Toronto Police Service's annual funding level is established by a vote of the Toronto City Council in favour of the year's proposed budget. Provided below are historical gross and net funding levels of the TPS as a part of the city's operating budgets.

As of 2011, a tentative agreement will make Toronto police the country’s highest-paid officers by increasing wages over 11 per cent over the next four years.

Chiefs of police

The chief of police is the highest-ranking officer of the Toronto Police Service. The position was known as High Constable until 1859 and then as Chief Constable until the 1957 when the Toronto Police Department was amalgamated with 12 other Toronto-area forces to form the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force. Most chiefs have been chosen amongst the ranks of Toronto force and promoted/appointed from the ranks of deputy chief; Fantino was hired away from the York Regional Police, but he had been a career officer with Metro Toronto Police leaving as Acting Staff Superintendent.

Toronto Police Department (1834–1956)

High Constables

William Higgins 1834

George Kingsmill 1835

James Stitt 1836

George Kingsmill 1837–1846

George Allen 1847–1852

Samuel Sherwood 1852–1859

Chief Constables

William Stratton Prince 1859–1873

Frank C. Draper 1874–1886

H. J. Grasett 1886–1920

Samuel J. Dickson 1920–1928

Dennis Draper 1928–1946

John Chisholm 1946–1956

Metropolitan Toronto Police (1957–1995), Metropolitan Toronto Police Service (1995–1998), Toronto Police Service (1998–present)

Chiefs of Police

John Chisholm 1957–1958 (died 1958 from suicide)

James Page Mackey 1958–1970 (died 2009)

Harold Adamson 1970–1980 (died 2001)

Jack W. Ackroyd 1980–1984 (died 1992)

Jack Marks 1984–1989 (died 2007)

William J. McCormack 1989–1995 (died 2016)

David Boothby 1995–2000

Julian Fantino 2000–2005

Mike Boyd 2005 (interim)

Bill Blair 2005–2015

Mark Saunders 2015–present

Special Investigations Unit

The actions of the Toronto Police are examined by the Special Investigations Unit, a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU is dedicated to maintaining one law, ensuring equal justice before the law among both the police and the public. They assure that the criminal law is applied appropriately to police conduct, as determined through independent investigations, increasing public confidence in the police services. Complaints involving police conduct that do not result in a serious injury or death must be referred to the appropriate police service or to another oversight agency, such as the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services.

Operations

Toronto Police Headquarters is on College Street near Bay Street in the downtown area. The former HQ at Jarvis Street was turned into a museum (and since re-located to current HQ). The current site was once home to the Toronto YMCA. The current sign in over the main entrance still reads "Metropolitan Toronto Police Headquarters" and still has the seal of Metropolitan Toronto, and since 2007 has the current Toronto Police Service crest.

The Toronto Police Service is divided into two field areas and 17 divisions (police stations or precincts):

Organizational structure

Chief of Police

Deputy Chief of Police

Staff Superintendent

Superintendent or Staff Inspector (Div. Unit Commander)

Inspector (Divisional Unit 2IC)

Staff Sergeant (Platoon Manager)

Sergeant (Supervisor)

Constable

Central Field Command

Encompasses the original city of Toronto and former cities of York and East York.

11 Division, 2054 Davenport Rd.

12 Division, 200 Trethewey Dr.

13 Division, 1435 Eglinton Av. W

14 Division, 350 Dovercourt Rd.(14 Sub-Station is located at Exhibition Place)

51 Division, 51 Parliament St.

52 Division, 255 Dundas St. W.

53 Division, 75 Eglinton Av. W.

54 Division, 41 Cranfield Rd.

55 Division, 101 Coxwell Avenue.

Area Field Command

Encompasses the former cities of North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke.

22 Division, 3699 Bloor St. W

23 Division, 5230 Finch Ave. West

31 Division, 40 Norfinch Dr.

32 Division, 30 Ellerslie Av.

33 Division, 50 Upjohn Rd.

41 Division, 2222 Eglinton Av. E.

42 Division, 242 Milner Av. E.

43 Division 4331 Lawrence Ave. E near Morningside Avenue

Note: Public Safety Unit is located at 4610 Finch Avenue East next to the former Charles O. Bick Police College

Support units in the Toronto Police Service consists of:

Detective Services

Forensic Investigation Service, 2050 Jane St.

Homicide Squad, 40 College St.

Provincial ROPE Squad, 40 College St.

Drug Squad, 40 College St. replaced Toronto Police Service's Central Field Command Drug Squad from the 1990s

Organized Crime Enforcement, 40 College St.

Fraud Squad, 40 College St.

Hold-Up Squad, 40 College St.

Intelligence Services, 40 College.

Sex Crimes Unit, 40 College St.

Integrated Guns and Gangs Task Force (Replaced the Asian Crime Unit, Hate Crimes Unit), Don Mills

Toronto Anti-Violence Initiative Strategy (TAVIS), 5230 Finch Ave West.

Operational Services

Communications Service

911 Operations Centre

Court Services, 40 College St.

Prisoner Transportation Unit, 9 Hanna Avenue.

Emergency Task Force, 300 Lesmill Rd.

Marine, 259 Queen's Quay W.

Mounted and Police Dog Services, 44 Beechwood Drive (1989)—Mounted Drill Unit

25 horses with 45 officers

21 officers with 17 general dogs, 4 drug dogs and 1 explosives detector dog

Parking Enforcement East, 1500 Don Mills Rd.

Parking Enforcement West, 970 Lawrence Ave West

Public Safety and Emergency Management, 4610 Finch Avenue East

Traffic Services, 9 Hanna Avenue.

Transit Unit, 9 Hanna Avenue.

Community Mobilization Unit

Auxiliary (Auxiliary Constable), Volunteer and Rover Program

Youth Programs

Empowered Student Partnership

Toronto Recreational Outreach Program (TROOP)

Public Education and Crime Eradication (PEACE) project

Policing on most 400-series highways (like King's Highways 401, 400, 427, 404) are in the jurisdiction of the Ontario Provincial Police. Toronto Police Traffic Services is responsible for patrolling on local highways (Allen Road, Don Valley Parkway, F.G. Gardiner Expressway and the Toronto section of Highway 409).

Workforce

The Toronto Police Service has approximately 5,400 uniformed officers/under cover officers and 2,500 civilian employees. Its officers are among the best paid in Canada. In October 2008, the Toronto Police Service was named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.

Ranks

The rank insignia of the Toronto Police Service is similar to that used by police services elsewhere in Canada and in the United Kingdom, except that the usual "pips" are replaced by maple leaves.

Commanding officers

Besides the Chief of Police, the other command officers are the Deputy Chiefs. They head the command units.

Divisional Policing Command: vacant

Corporate Command: Michael Federico

Specialized Operations Command: Jim Ramer (acting Deputy Chief and Unit Commander of Detective Operations)

The Chief Administrative Officer is a civilian post, held by Tony Veneziano.

Police senior officers

The day-to-day and regional operations are commanded by senior officers:

Staff Superintendent

Superintendent

Staff Inspector

Inspector

Investigative non-commissioned officers

Investigations are divided into crimes against persons and crimes against property. These investigations are conducted by:

Detective Sergeant

Detective

Detective Constable

Police officers

Staff Sergeant

Sergeant

Constable—first class, second class, third class, fourth class

Sworn members

Special Constable—Court Officers, Prisoner Transportation officers, Document Servers, Custodial Officers

Ranks

Locational Administrator

Shift Supervisor

Supervisor

Officer

Unsworn members

Cadet in Training

Toronto Police Service 22 Division Rover Crew (restricted to Police Foundation students at Humber College Lakeshore Campus)

Parking Enforcement Officer

Station Duty Officers

Communicator Operators

Training and Toronto Police College

New and current officers of the Toronto Police Service train at the Toronto Police College in Etobicoke on Birmingham east of Islington. The initial training is two weeks, followed by 12 weeks at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer, Ontario and then nine weeks of final training at Toronto Police College. Charles O. Bick College was closed in July 2009.

Uniform

Front line officers wear dark navy blue shirts, cargo pants (with red stripe) and boots. Winter jackets are either dark navy blue jacket design–Eisenhower style, single breasted front closing, two patch type breast pockets, shoulder straps, gold buttons—or yellow windbreaker style with the word POLICE in reflective silver and black at the back (generally worn by the bicycle and traffic services units). All ranks shall wear dark navy blue clip on ties when wearing long-sleeve uniforms.

Auxiliary officers (shown to the right) wear light blue shirts (long sleeve for winter and short for summer), with the badging of auxiliary on the bottom of the crest. Originally front line officer also wore light blue shirts but changed to the current navy blue shirts in the Fall of 2000.

Hats can be styled after baseball caps, combination caps, or fur trim Yukon (similar to the Ushanka) hats for winter. Motorcycle units have white helmets. Black or reflective yellow gloves are also provided to officers with Traffic Services. Front line officers usually wear combination caps since that is the location of their badge. Prior to the 1990s, female officers wore bowler caps instead of combination caps. Auxiliary officers wear combination caps with a checkered red and black band. The Mounted Unit wear black Canadian military fur wedge cap during the winter months and Custodian helmet for ceremonial use.

As is the case with all Ontario law enforcement officers, uniformed officers wear name tags. They are in the style of "A. Example" where the first letter of the first name is written and the last name next to it. Name tags are usually stitched on with white stitching on a black background, but they also have pin-styled with black lettering on a gold plate.

Senior officers wear white shirts and a black Eisenhower style jacket.

Emergency Task Force

The Emergency Task Force (ETF) is the tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service. It is mandated to deal with high-risk situations like gun calls, hostage taking, barricaded persons, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests and warrant service, and protection details. The unit was created in 1965. An earlier non-SWAT Riot and Emergency Squad emerged in 1961. Part of its role is now undertaken by the ETF, Public Safety and Emergency Management and the Mounted Unit.

Marine unit

TPS is one of several police forces along Lake Ontario with a marine unit. Prior to the 1980s the port area had their own police force, Toronto Harbour Police/Port of Toronto Police and merged into the then Metropolitan Police Force's marine unit.

TPS has a fleet of 24 boats based along marine unit stations in south Etobicoke (Humber Bay West Park), Toronto Harbour and Scarborough (Bluffer's Park):

TPS Marine unit works in conjunction with:

Canadian Forces Search and Rescue unit at CFB Trenton

Peel Regional Police Marine Unit

Durham Regional Police Marine Unit

Niagara Regional Police Service Marine Unit

Halton Regional Police Marine Unit

Hamilton Police Service (Ontario) Marine Unit

Toronto Search and Rescue - a volunteer service with ties to Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary

Mounted unit

The horse unit was formed in 1886 to provide crowd control and now stationed at the Horse Palace at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The unit has been based at Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo, Sunnybrook Stables and at various division in Scarborough, Ontario, and North York, Ontario. The unit has a strength of 27 horses and 40 officers.

Police horses Honest Ed and Spencer were invited to the swearing in of United States President Barack Obama by Michigan’s Multi- Jurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team and Color Guard.

Horses

Horses killed while on duty:

Lancer: 2002—motor vehicle collision

Brigadier (born 1998 near Listowel, Ontario): 2006—intentional motor vehicle collision

Royal Sun: 2012—torn leg ligament

Police dog services

The Toronto Police K-9 unit was created in 1989 and is deployed to search for suspects, missing persons and other duties. The service has 17 general purpose dogs. Ali, Indy, Memphis, Nero, Ozzy, Pepper, Rony, Ronin, Timber are dogs attached to this unit. There are 4 drug enforcement dogs and 1 explosives detector dog. The 21 officers and dogs are assigned to this unit and based at 44 Beechwood Drive in Toronto East York

Toronto Police dogs who have died during their service:

Keno (2011)—firearms detector

Luke (2011)—general service

Toronto parking enforcement

Parking enforcement on all roads and public property are the responsibility of Toronto Police and work with Toronto Parking Authority.

Uniforms

TPE officers are provincial offences officers able to issue parking tickets under part II of the Ontario Provincial Offences Act. They do not carry any use of force items and are unarmed, but are issued Kevlar vests for safety. They are peace officers pursuant to section 15 of the Police Services Act of Ontario for the purpose of enforcing Municipal By-Laws.

Their uniform consists of a blue shirt, black cargo pants with blue stripe, a black vest and a cap with blue stripe. Boots are similar to front line TPS officers. In winter months, TPE officers have a blue jacket with reflective trim. Patches on the jackets and shirts are similar to the TPS, but with a white back ground the blue wording "Parking Enforcement".

Fleet

Their vehicles have the same paint scheme as the older TPS squad cars, but they are labelled with Parking Enforcement and fleet numbers PKE (East) or PKW (West).

Toronto school crossing guards

Adult crossing guards at various intersections and crosswalks are employed and paid by the TPS. They are under charge by various Division across the city.

Uniforms

Besides wearing the reflective vest (yellow and orange), crossing guards are supplied with a police issue jacket. The jackets have a patch similar to the TPS, but it has a white background and identification as school crossing guards. A winter hat similar to the Ushanka are worn in cold weather.

Toronto Police Lifeguard Service (TPLS)

97 life guards are responsible for patrolling 11 beaches and 44 kilometres of shoreline. The lifeguards are on duty during the summer months and are assisted by the TPS (including the Marine Unit), Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Fire Services.

Logo

The components of the TPS logo is similar to the old Metro Toronto Police logo less the name change:

winged wheels of industry on the top part of the shield representing transportation

crown commemorating the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953

two books represent education or knowledge

A caduceus—herald's staff, associated with Mercury, protector of commerce

chevron for housing

Sheaf with York Rose on the sides of the crest - presenting York County, Ontario, which Toronto served as County seat 1834 to 1953

beaver represents industry and/or Canada—from the old and new Coat of arms of Toronto

ribbon containing the words Toronto Police

Prior to the Metro Police, the Toronto Police Department officers wore a generic Scully badge on their caps, a common shield used by Canadian police forces in the 19th and early 20th Century. This featured a metallic maple leaf with a beaver and crown.

Fleet

Police cars, also known as police cruisers, are the standard equipment used by Toronto Police officers for transportation. The vehicles are numbered in regards to their division and car number. For example, 3322 represents that the vehicle is from 33 Division, and the following 22 is the vehicle designation number.

Current fleet have a white base with red and blue markings and stealth vehicles are grey with reflective markings. Beginning in 2016 TPS is planning to replace the current colour scheme with grey or blue base with white reflective markings.

Previous scheme was yellow base with blue lettering.

Other fleet numbering patterns include:

Area Field Command Unit—AFCXX

Bail Compliance Unit—BCUXX

Bike Patrol Unit—XXX

Central Field Command—CFCXX

Chief of Police—CHIEF

Command Vehicles—COMDXX

Court Services—CRTXX

Courier—RMSXX

Emergency Task Force—ETFXX

Forensic Identification Services—FISXX

Information Technology Services—ITSXX

Marine Unit—MUXX

Mounted Unit Services—MTDXX

Parking Enforcement—PKEXX (East)/PKWXX (West)

Police Dog Services—PDSXX

Public Safety Unit—PSUXX

School Resource Officer—SROXX

(Marine) Service Vehicle—SRVX

Spare Vehicles—7XX

Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS)—TAVXX

Neighbourhood TAVIS Initiative -TAV XX NTI

Toronto Police Tow Trucks—8XX

Traffic Services/Transit Patrol Unit—6XXX / 66XX

Video Services Unit—VSUXX

Motor vehicles

TPS has about 500 vehicles in their fleet.

Aircraft

An unmarked Cessna 206 H (C-FZRR) was registered with the TPS and been used for undisclosed surveillance work. The plane has been alleged to have been used during the Rob Ford substance abuse scandal. C-FZRR was sold in 2015 to Sky Photo Techniques. Normal helicopter support is provided by York Regional Police.

Sidearms and weapons

Glock 22: Large frame .40 S&W with 180 gr jacketed hollow point bullets—Regular uniformed officers

Glock 27: Subcompact frame .40 S&W—Detectives

Glock 17: Large frame 9×19mm—Emergency Task Force

Glock 19: Compact frame 9×19mm—Emergency Task Force

Pepper spray (OC spray): Regular uniformed officers

TPS formerly used Smith & Wesson prior to switching over to the Glock.

Weapons used by the ETF include:

MP5A3 9 mm submachine gun

Remington 700 bolt-action sniper rifle

Remington 870 shotgun (Can be issued to Regular Uniformed Officers)

Mossberg M500 shotgun (Can be issued to Regular Uniformed Officers)

Diemaco C8 carbine rifle (Can be issued to Regular Uniformed Officers)

Taser International M18 taser

Taser International X26 taser

Pepper spray (OC Spray)

Tear gas (CS Gas)

Rubber bullets or bean bags rounds using ARWEN 37

ARWEN 37 37 mm riot gun (and AR-1 plastic baton rounds, may also be available to crowd/riot control officers)

Less Lethal shotguns (likely a modified 870) - fires sock rounds and identified by the bright orange butt and sliding forearm handle sections

Long Range Acoustic Device: Three (one for Marine Unit, two for Public Safety Unit)

Emergency services

TPS is part of Toronto's Emergency Services and works alongside:

Toronto Paramedic Services

Toronto Fire Services

Heavy Urban Search and Rescue

Incidents and controversies

See List of cases of police brutality in Canada