Police Week Celebrates Collaboration

Police Week is an opportunity to celebrate the work of police officers and the partnerships with other agencies and community that makes for a safer city, said Toronto Police Service Chief Myron Demkiw at this year’s Police Week launch at Fairview Mall on May 12.

“This includes our efforts regarding prevention, outreach and engagement with communities,” he said. “To serve the community, it is important to know the community. Focusing on partnerships and local initiatives is a big part of our vision of community safety and well-being.”

Last January, TPS launched a community hub in Fairview Mall that allows officers to engage with community members, build greater trust and foster relationships.

“The presence of our members in uniforms makes a difference,” said Demkiw. “We have seen it on our streets, we have seen it with our Neighbourhood Community Officers. We have seen it on the transit system. We know that the presence of police matters and ease of access to our members matters for the safety and well-being of our communities.”

Demkiw acknowledged police members who are committed to serving and protecting the city.

“But we cannot do it alone,” he said. “The safety and security of our communities depend on residents, community organizations, government agencies and the police working together.”

Demkiw cited the collaboration with Toronto Public Health and the Downtown Community Outreach Response & Engagement (CORE) team as a great example of this partnership.

The CORE teams include specially trained community-oriented police officers and public health nurses who proactively address the complex health needs of people in the downtown core.

“I have personally spoken with members who are assigned to the team and it is already bearing positive anecdotal evidence of success,” said the Chief.

Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) Chair Shelley Carroll said Police Week provides an opportunity to recognize the incredible dedication of police officers and reflect on how communities can come together to build safety.

“Public safety is not just about responding to emergencies,” she said. “It’s about being proactive and that is where we can do the most work together. It is about presence and that partnership with first responders and with community organizations.”

Carroll said National Police Week is also a time to listen.

“We need to listen all year round, but this is a time when she should listen and reflect,” said the Toronto city councillor. “We open ourselves to a new way of thinking about what safety means. We set up a table at this community hub and listen to what people have to say. For different communities across the city, that will look different. But it is all about that listening.”

Earlier this year, Toronto city council, with Mayor Olivia Chow at the helm, and the TPSB approved the 2025 budget that allows TPS to continue hiring police officers, among other things.

“The budget reflected a financial commitment in adopting a five-year staffing plan,” she said. “We now have four classes a year with a maximum number of 90 recruits in each class. That means we will have at least 360 officers hired every year. It is this kind of stability that allows for planning ahead and deploying officers with confidence. You can see the result. Our crime rate is lowering and the response time is much faster.”

Chow read a National Police Week proclamation that she presented to Demkiw.

Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said thanking police officers for their incredible work and heroism that is inseparable from their careers is the essence of National Police Week celebrations.

“What our police officers do every day makes a real difference in people’s lives and they do it no matter the danger, no matter the threat and no matter the odds,” he added.

Toronto Police Association (TPA) president Clayton Campbell encouraged community members to consider policing as a career.

“To anyone who thought, even for a minute, about joining their local service, do it,” he said. “Working in the biggest city in Canada is the best, but I bet every police service in Ontario is hiring right now. Come forward and learn more about it. Now is the time to take that step.”

Campbell thanked community members for supporting the police.

“Now more than ever, our members face difficult and challenging conditions when they show up every day,” he noted. “We know most of you support us.”

Campbell also acknowledged the nearly 8,000 uniform and civilian members for the work they do.

“You are the best ambassadors for policing,” he said. “The work you do, the sacrifices you make, the pride with which you serve are immeasurable.”

Police Week is celebrated from May 12-18.

This year’s theme is ‘Strengthening Trust, Collaboration and Community Safety’.

“In these challenging times, Ontario’s police professionals understand the deep concerns many families, individuals and communities have about safety and well-being,” said Joe Couto, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Director of Government Relations & Communications. “Police officers and civilian members are committed to more than just law enforcement. They are committed to fostering safer, healthier communities for all who call Ontario home.

“Trust is not given. It is earned. Police services across our province are working every day to build and maintain that trust through transparency, accountability and respectful engagement. We know that true public safety requires us to listen, to learn and to lead in partnership with our communities. Whether we are collaborating with Indigenous and racialized communities, health care providers, educators or social services, our shared goal is to address the root causes of crime and ensure equity in safety and support.”

Celebrated since 1970, Police Week is an opportunity to highlight the incredible work members do daily to serve and protect communities and celebrate community partnerships