The chief of the Toronto Police Service is the professional head of the Toronto Police Service (TPS). Under the direction of the Toronto Police Services Board, the chief is responsible for the management and administration of the police service's operations.
Myron Demkiw is the current chief of police, having assumed office on December 19, 2022.
Overview Section 41 of the Police Services Act legally defines the role of police chiefs in Ontario. Under this law, the chief is responsible for administering the police force and overseeing its operation in accordance with the objectives, priorities and policies established by the board, ensuring that members of the police force carry out their duties in accordance with the Police Services Act in a manner that reflects the needs of the community, maintaining discipline in the police force, ensuring that the police force provides community-oriented police services, and administering the complaints system.
The Toronto Police Services Board recruits and dismisses the chief. Day-to-day policing and operational decisions of the Toronto Police Service are made by the chief, but must be consistent with the policies and objectives set by the Toronto Police Services Board.
History The position was known as "high constable" when the Toronto Police Department was formed until 1859 and then as "chief constable" until 1957, when the Toronto Police Department was amalgamated with 12 other Toronto-area forces to form the Metropolitan Toronto Police.
List of chiefs of police +High constables, chief constables and chiefs of police in TorontoAgencyTitleNameTenureNotesRefToronto Police Department (1834–1956)High ConstableWilliam Higgins1834George Kingsmill1835James Stitt1836George Kingsmill1837–1846George Allen1847–1852Samuel Sherwood1852–1858Chief ConstableWilliam Stratton Prince1859–1873Frank C. Draper1874–1886H. J. Grasett1886–1920Longest serving chiefSamuel Dickson1920–1928Dennis Draper1928–1946John Chisholm1946–1956Metropolitan Toronto Police (1957–1998)Chief of PoliceJohn Chisholm1957–1958James Page Mackey1958–1970Harold Adamson1970–1980Jack Ackroyd1980–1984Jack Marks1984–1989William McCormack1989–1995Toronto Police Service (1998–present)David Boothby1995–2000Last chief of the Metro Police; first chief of the Toronto Police ServiceJulian Fantino2000–2005Mike Boyd2005InterimBill Blair2005–2015Mark Saunders2015–2020James Ramer2020–2022InterimMyron Demkiw2022–present
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