Awards for Innovation, Bravery and Lifesaving

Dozens of Toronto Police Service members going above and beyond the call of duty were recognized with commendations at a ceremony at the police college.

“Whether you used data to make our operations more efficient, improved our workplace or strengthened our relationships with various communities, we are celebrating you,” said Chief Myron Demkiw. “Your courage, skills and compassion have had a positive impact on our residents, our Service and our city. You represent the best of our organization.”

Toronto Police Service Board Chair Shelley Carroll said the honoured TPS members are the embodiment of the Service’s mission, vision and values.

“Day after day, whether in neighbourhoods across Toronto or in specialized units, they consistently demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism, care and collaboration,” she said. “These members don’t just meet expectations. They exceed them. Through their actions, they inspire each one of us to strive for even greater levels of service and dedication to our community.”

Detective Sergeant Sin Kim of Forensic Identification Services led a Forensic Innovation & Research Team that enhanced the speed of firearm-related forensic linkages to investigators.

“When you shoot a gun, the cartridge case can be matched to the gun,” he said. “When we get a gun used in a criminal activity, we can trace it to where it came from. The problem was those things were not happening fast enough for us.”

Kim said the team identified ways to speed up the process reducing the time to produce a linkage by 88 per cent.

“If there are 15 shootings in the city and I take all of those cartridge cases and load them on our data base, they would be sitting and waiting. Now, if I arrest you tomorrow and you have the gun that did the 15 shootings, I can now connect that gun to those shootings.”

The other team members honoured were Constables Spencer Fraser, Aaron Broad, Daniel Morgan and Mark Weber; Supervisor Ed Costa; Senior Crime Scene Support technicians Jessica Head, Justin Naraine, Mary Oliverio and Ian Wong; Laboratory Specialists Cameron Power and Jaclyn Slaney; Logistics & Equipment Clerk George Ismael; Group Leader Shawn Binnom; Senior Firearms Officer Matthew Passmore and Safe City Gun Recovery Clerk Lisa Walker.

Two frontline officers and a Communications Operator were honoured with the Toronto Police Service Mental Health Excellence Award for saving a man in a mental health crisis.

Established in 2016 by the Toronto Police Services Board, the award is presented annually to TPS members who have demonstrated excellence, compassion and respect in their interactions with members of the public who are in crisis.

In January 2024, Constables Jenny Mak and Andrew Laswick of 53 Division responded to a break and enter at a construction site. Officers located a man on a 10-story scaffolding stairwell that went from the ground level into the construction site pit.

The male had a harness tied around him and had one leg over the railing between the scaffolding stairs and the concrete wall of the pit.

As Mak and Laswick attempted to speak with the man and build a rapport, he ignored the officers and lifted his other leg over the side of the scaffolding and fell nearly 10 feet between the scaffolding and the concrete wall.

Falling with his leg caught on the rebar and suspended, he worked his leg free and the harness around his chest slid up and wrapped around his neck.

Seeing the man suspended about 10 feet off the ground hanging from the neck, Laswick ran down the stairs to stabilize him and try to ease the pressure off his neck while Mak relayed information over the radio and pulled out her pocketknife to cut the male down.

“Along with the complainant, we worked to cut the rope and hold the man from falling further,” said Laswick. “PC Mak held the cut end while I and the complainant pulled him back to the scaffolding.”

The officers, who were in the same recruit class in 2020, immediately performed CPR.

“We brought him back before paramedics arrived,” said Laswick, of regaining the man’s pulse.

Mental Health & Addictions Coordinator Sergeant Giovanni Liggio said the quick actions by officers were complemented by Communications Operator Kathryn Fera, who was the dispatcher on the call providing steady support.

She contacted both Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Fire Service putting a rush on them while officers were attempting to cut him down.

Fera remained calm and relayed all of what she had done to assist the officers by notifying the proper agencies. She then ensured the officers were not injured.

“Her composure throughout the entire call brought a calm to the entire situation,” said Liggio. “There was a noticeable calming effect to everyone on the air.  If not for her calm composure on the air the situation would have resulted in confusion or in a delay to the emergency response.”