Celebrating Excellence in Policing
The Police Excellence Awards this Thursday will celebrate the devoted, brave and compassionate members of the Toronto Police Service.
Each year at the event, co-presented by the Toronto Police Service Board, the Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Police Association, awards are given for
- Police Officer Excellence Awards & the Police Officer of the Year Award
- Business Excellence Award
- Civilian Excellence Award
Read the award-winning stories below:
Police Officer Excellence Awards
Police Constable Ralph Reloza & Communications Operators Mark Riches and April Shiels
On February 23, 2025, Communications Operator April Shiels received a frantic 9-1-1 call from the parent of a newborn who was not breathing and turning purple. As calltaker, she calmly gleaned as many details as possible from the distressed parents.
Recognizing the urgency, Dispatcher Mark Riches quickly informed responding officers of the critical situation, updating them on the location and the child’s worsening condition as they rushed to the scene.
Officers raced to the scene, but 53 Division Constable Ralph Reloza was the first through the building lobby doors where he was met by the parents and a grandparent, who handed him the 12-day-old infant who was stiff and turning purple.
Swallowing his nerves, his First Aid training reflexively kicked in as he cradled the tiny infant his forearm and administered back blows, successfully restoring the infant’s breathing to the relief of the baby’s family.
Communications Operators Shiels and Riches and Police Constable Reloza are recognized for their decisive teamwork to save a child’s life.
Police Constables Karanjit Chadde, Nikoletta Gabriele, Aida Sabitova & Jason Son
On June 30, 2025, multiple 53 Division units rushed to a call for a man clinging to the outside railing of six-storey balcony.
Arriving first, Constables Karanjit Chadde and Aida Sabitova grabbed a master key from security and ran to the apartment where they found a man in his 70s crying out for help. The officers immediately held onto the 200-pound man’s arms and belt overtop of the shoulder-height balcony, knowing he was likely exhausted and any slip could be fatal.
Constable Nikoleta Gabriele arrived next, joining her fellow officers in securing the man improvising a support using leg restraints from her scout vehicle to keep the man safe, while Constable Jason Son cleared the area below and relayed information as more police and fire resources poured into the scene. Firefighters joined the officers to pull the man to safety and get him to hospital for psychiatric assessment.
Police Constables Karanjit Chadde, Nikoletta Gabriele, Aida Sabitova & Jason Son are recognized for risking their lives to save a man in crisis.
Police Constable Amanda Spicer
On May 19, 2025, members of the Public Safety Response Team were conducting an intelligence-led patrol in a high-crime neighbourhood to deter violence when they heard a broadcast from other officers that a black SUV failed to stop for police. They soon spotted the SUV matching the description driving erratically at high speeds, blowing through several stop signs.
The officers followed with lights and sirens until the vehicle came to a rest suddenly as a wheel broke from the axle, sending the four people inside fleeing on foot, scattering through a townhouse complex.
Constable Amanda Spicer got out of the police scout car as her partner drove to the next road to cut off the path of the fleeing man. For several minutes, Constable Spicer pursued the young man until he ran into an open garage and into a home, trying to hold the door closed until she overcame him and pushed it open. The man continued his escape through the home terrifying its residents as he made his way out the front door.
She continued chasing the man catching up to him and having to tackle him to the ground as he ignored her police commands to stop. On the ground, she fought back the man as he resisted arrest and kept reaching for his right pant leg. After several exhausting minutes of holding the man down backup officers arrived to help handcuff the man and bring him into custody.
They discovered a concealed Glock semi-automatic pistol under his pant leg. Once the man was in custody. Putting aside her exhaustion and emotions, Spicer engaged with homeowners and neighbours who had questions about the investigation.
Constable Spicer is recognized for her bravery and professionalism in taking a gunman off the street.
Police Constable Michael Hoag
On November 15, 2024, two men abducted a male victim from his residence in Durham region at gunpoint, forcing him into his own vehicle. They contacted friends and family with photos showing a gun pointed to the victim’s head and made demands for ransom money.
Investigation revealed the victim’s cellphone was in the area of 41 Division and Constable Michael Hoag, along with his partner, was dispatched to check an address where they might find the car.
Recognizing the risks and need for coordination Hoag took a leadership role, liaising with Durham police and opening lines of communication with the person who reported the abduction to responding officers.
Constable Hoag set up a command post to ensure a safe and effective plan for locating the victim and his vehicle as multiple divisions and specialty units became involved in the search for the vehicle including uniform and plainclothes officers.
Once the car was located, the suspects fled from police smashing into police and civilian vehicles in an attempt to escape, eventually abandoning their car and running away on foot.
Both suspects were arrested and two handguns recovered. The victim was treated for a gunshot wound.
Constable Hoag is recognized for his professionalism and leadership in a dynamic and evolving investigation that led to the rescue of a kidnapped person.
Police Constable Rebecca Crosby
When two downtown banks were robbed six days apart in March 2025, Hold Up investigators quickly linked the cases through security video of the masked man who had frightened the bank tellers with his threats against them.
Shortly after the second robbery, the suspects’ clothing was found discarded in a nearby alleyway and a canvass for security video resulted in an image of the suspect’s face that was distributed as a bulletin to downtown divisions.
On April 1, 14 Division Constable Rebecca Crosby visited downtown shelters, suspecting the man may be homeless, until she came across a location where staff recognized the man who had been storing items at the shelter. Awaiting other officers to assist in an arrest she spotted the man returning to the shelter wearing the same clothing as he had during a robbery.
She confronted the man and arrested him.
A criminal code search warrant of the man’s shelter locker located further evidence.
Constable Crosby is commended for her diligent investigative skills in finding the suspect and preventing further victimization.
Detective Graham Ellis & Detective Constables Ron Reise, Tyler Hardcastle, Cody McIntosh and Summer Sandford
In November 2025, officers responded to a 9-1-1 call from an unknown caller reporting a man had threatened him with a firearm at a gas station.
43 Division Major Crime Unit plainclothes officers Detective Graham Ellis & Detective Constables Ron Reise, Tyler Hardcastle, Cody McIntosh and Summer Sandford were the first on the scene containing the area.
Detective Ellis and Detective Constable Reise quickly found a man inside the gas station convenience store matching the suspect description and decided to calmly enter the store in an attempt to defuse the situation.
After identifying themselves as police, the suspect quickly backed away and reached toward his waistband in a manner consistent with drawing a firearm and the officers backed off drawing their own guns.
The suspect showing the butt of what appeared to be a black assault-style rifle and then openly displayed the weapon, telling the officers they would have to shoot and kill him.
The officers remained calm and attempted to de-escalate the situation as Ellis slowly made his way to the other side of the store and seized an opportunity to bring the man to the ground to restrain him and secure the weapon, which was later found to be an airsoft rifle.
It was later determined that the man himself had fabricated the incident in an apparent attempt to provoke police into shooting him. He had lost a close family member days earlier and was still in distress.
Detective Graham Ellis & Detective Constables Ron Reise, Tyler Hardcastle, Cody McIntosh and Summer Sandford are recognized for their work to safely end a mental health crisis through their coordination, bravery and teamwork.
Detectives Ken Perino & Jamie Juhasz
On August 15, 2024, 12 Division Detectives Ken Perino and Jamie Juhasz of 12 Division launched an investigation into a parental child abduction where a three-year-old had been taken to India by his father who failed to bring him home as ordered by an ongoing custody agreement.
The father had ceased all communication with the mother and his own lawyer, leading the investigators on a 10-month investigation where they worked extensively with Canadian police and government agencies and Indian police. They continued to remain in close contact with the child’s mother, providing updates, reassurance and access to local resources as she dealt with the separation from her young child. Detective Perino virtually attended court hearings in the Indian judicial system to testify about the alleged abduction that ultimately led to the mother being able to travel to India to be reunited with her child.
Upon returning to Canada, the child’s father was arrested and charged with abduction.
Detectives Ken Perino & Jamie Juhasz are recognized for their dedicated and compassionate work to bring a child home to his mother.
Detective Constable Torin Offord
From January 2024, Detective Constable Torin Offord led an extensive and highly technical investigation into a complex criminal harassment case involving sustained online abuse of people associated to a former intimate partner.
Over the course of several months, the accused created and operated more than 30 separate Instagram accounts to follow, tag and message the victims and their associates. The activity included hundreds of defamatory and threatening posts, such as false accusations labelling the complainants as pedophiles, reposting photos of the complainants and their children with threatening captions and sharing personal information.
Detective Constable Offord conducted a meticulous investigation that involved drafting five separate production orders to social media platforms and mobile service providers to identify, trace and analyze the accused’s digital footprint. This work included gathering extensive social media data across dozens of accounts through IP address and subscriber information, while maintaining consistent communication with multiple complainants and ensuring their safety and trust throughout the process.
Once the accused was identified and arrested, the officer prepared the case for court and obtained a confession.
Detective Constable Torin Offord is commended for her commitment and innovative investigative work to end the criminal harassment of strangers.
Detective Pat Stewart
On March 25, 2025, a family member called police to report that her two sisters, both Canadian citizens, were being held against their will in Iran. They had travelled to Iran with their husbands and three Canadian-born children. Upon arrival, the husbands allegedly confiscated the women’s passports, confined them to a residence, and subjected them to physical abuse and threats of forced relocation to Afghanistan.
Despite severely limited communication, the victims managed to reach their sister in Toronto who pursued all avenues through Canadian and Iranian authorities to return them home.
Detective Pat Stewart assumed carriage of what became a highly complex and unprecedented investigation. With the victims located in a country that has no diplomatic ties with Canada, he faced significant jurisdictional and legal challenges. The officer worked closely with the Crown Attorney’s Office, engaging in multiple consultations to develop a strategic investigative plan.
During the course of the investigation, Stewart learned that one of the husbands had temporarily returned to Canada. He located and arrested the man, charging him with five counts of kidnapping. The accused was held for a bail hearing and subsequently released under strict conditions, including wearing an ankle monitor and avoiding proximity to transportation hubs. Weeks later, Stewart received an alert indicating that the accused was within 200 metres of Toronto Pearson International Airport. He quickly located and arrested him for breaching his release conditions.
This decisive action prompted renewed communication with relatives in Iran and ultimately led to the safe return of all five victims to Canada.
Detective Pat Stewart is recognized for his tenacity, professionalism and commitment to reunite a family with their loved ones.
PC Dave Evans
When Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica on October 27, 2025, it left a trail of destruction across the island but also revealed extraordinary courage in the face of danger.
Among those caught in the storm was Constable Dave Evans, who had travelled his hometown in the rural community of Leeds in St. Elizabeth to visit his elderly mother.
Drawing on years of disaster management experience from his time in the Jamaica Defence Force, he spent days preparing homes in his community for the approaching storm.
As the Category 5 hurricane unleashed violent winds and rising floodwaters, Evans witnessed a neighbouring house lose its roof within seconds. Inside were two vulnerable residents—a 90-year-old woman and her nephew. Without hesitation, he braved flying debris and chest-high water, using a rope to guide himself safely to their home. He rescued both and brought them to safety, sustaining only minor injuries.
In the storm’s aftermath, Evans continued his efforts, clearing roads, checking on residents and coordinating recovery work. He mobilized neighbours, repaired damaged homes and helped restore access to isolated areas. His actions not only saved lives but also united a shaken community in resilience and recovery.
Business Excellence Award
PC Isabelle Cotton
In 2022, Toronto Police Service Constable Cotton stepped into a newly created role with a clear but complex mandate to strengthen meaningful, lasting connections between police and youth across the city. The challenge was significant. Young people aged 15 to 19 are disproportionately affected by both crime and victimization, yet previous efforts to engage them had been inconsistent and often short-lived.
Recognizing this gap, Cotton set out to build a comprehensive, Service-wide youth engagement strategy creating the Community Connect Program, a forward-thinking initiative designed to address root causes of youth vulnerability, including limited access to employment opportunities, job readiness skills and essential certifications.
By leveraging the trust already established by Neighbourhood Community Officers who were already established in their communities, and partnering with organizations such as the Red Cross, the City of Toronto, Covenant House and Toronto Community Housing, Community Connect began delivering tangible results.
Thousands of youths gained certifications in First Aid, food handling, and babysitting, while others received résumé support, interview training, and direct pathways to employment.
Equally important, the program helped rebuild bridges with institutions like the Toronto District School Board, reintroducing a collaborative presence in schools.
Beyond statistics, Community Connect represents a shift in approach—one rooted in prevention, partnership, and empowerment. Cotton has not only defined her role but transformed it into a model of proactive, community driven policing.
Civilian Excellence Award
Shannon Cartier
Senior Communications Advisor Shannon Cartier led the development of a public awareness campaign in response to a troubling rise in violent assaults against Parking Enforcement Officers (PEOs).
Working in strategic partnership with the Toronto Police Association (TPA), she led a focused communications initiative designed to change public behaviour and improve safety outcomes.
The campaign was built around three core messages: education, compassion and service. It emphasized that PEOs are civilian members of law enforcement and that assaulting them carries the same serious criminal charge as assaulting a sworn police officer.
Through powerful first-hand accounts, officers shared the physical and emotional toll of these incidents, helping the public better understand the human impact. The campaign also highlighted the essential role PEOs play in maintaining traffic flow, supporting communities, and assisting police operations.
The results were significant. Assaults, which had risen by 17.4% in early 2024 to 27 incidents by mid-July, dropped by 56.5% following the campaign launch, falling to 10 incidents in the latter part of the year. Public sentiment also improved markedly, with positive and neutral perceptions increasing by 32.6% and negative sentiment decreasing by 32.5%.
The campaign’s effectiveness was based in its collaboration between subject matter experts as well as the use of short-form video and digital storytelling to deliver clear, impactful messaging.
