Recruits urged to serve with courage, compassion and integrity

New Toronto Police officers received their badges on August 20, beginning careers in a diverse and rapidly changing city where compassion, sound judgment and a strong commitment to community service will be essential.

Surrounded by relatives, friends, instructors and police leaders at the Toronto Police College, members of Recruit Class 26-02 were reminded that graduation marked not the end of their training, but the beginning of a responsibility to earn public trust and support people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Chief Myron Demkiw reminded the class that receiving a badge makes each graduate part of the nearly 200-year legacy of the Toronto Police Service, which was established in 1834. He urged them to embody the professionalism, skill and integrity represented by the uniform and carry forward the Service’s determination to protect people and persist through difficult investigations.

“While success will look different for each of you, it will always be about serving and protecting our communities with integrity and professionalism,” he said. “It’s about being there for people when they need us most. And it’s about what makes you happy, healthy and good at what you do.”

Drawing on his 36-year career, Demkiw encouraged the graduates to seek to understand others, remain lifelong learners and make self-care a priority. Looking after their health, he said, is a commitment not only to themselves and their loved ones, but also to the communities that depend on them.

“It allows us to bring the best version of ourselves to our life of service every day,” he added. “Our members’ health, safety and wellbeing will always be my priority.”

Toronto Police Service Board Vice-Chair Chris Brillinger said the recruits are entering one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the world, where their varied backgrounds and experiences can strengthen the organization and its relationship with the public.

“You will play a unique role in helping to make Toronto work and succeed,” he said. “Hard work to be sure, but incredibly rewarding. This is an incredibly exciting time and place to be in policing.”

Brillinger challenged the graduates to recognize that Toronto and the role of policing within it are changing quickly. He said the city’s complex public safety needs demand collaboration, innovation, problem-solving and meaningful relationships with residents.

“We need members who are prepared not only to meet today’s challenges, but to help shape the future of policing in Toronto,” he noted. “I am confident that each of you will play an important role in strengthening community safety and ensuring our Service continues to evolve alongside the city we are privileged to serve.”

The Vice-Chair noted that representation, trust and empathy are central to that work.

“When residents see themselves reflected in their police service, confidence grows,” Brillinger added. “When young people see officers who understand their experiences, relationships strengthen. And when policing is rooted in respect, professionalism and empathy, communities become safer and stronger.”

Mayor Olivia Chow, recalling the relief she felt when officers responded after her home was burglarized, told the graduates that the safety they provide is precious.

“I run away from danger, but I know you run towards danger,” she said. “That is courage, that is commitment to serve and that is service above self.”

Chow acknowledged the long hours, stress and sacrifices that accompany policing and urged the new officers to carry out their duties with “courage, compassion and commitment.”

Silvia Gualtieri, the MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, said the province has expanded opportunities for people interested in policing by adding a fourth annual intake at the Ontario Police College, increasing class sizes and eliminating tuition fees for basic constable training.

“Opportunity alone is not enough,” she said. “It takes people willing to step forward and seize it, people willing to meet the moment. And that is exactly what these dedicated new officers have done.”

Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner met with the recruits at the College a few hours before graduation.

“This profession is about understanding that our city is diverse, special, inclusive and warm,” he said. “This class can make a community feel safe and proud, and they will make an incredible difference. Things are only impossible until they’re not.”

Several graduates brought previous experience and family connections to policing and public service.

Among them was Michael Demkiw, the Chief’s son, who spent eight years serving in the Canadian Army Reserve infantry before joining the Toronto Police Service. He said the experience taught him to remain calm under pressure and enabled him to develop valuable relationships with mentors.

Another family policing tradition crossed national borders.

Retired Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Brian Rolle and his wife travelled from The Bahamas for the graduation, where he presented their son Joshua with his badge.

“Seeing my father in uniform when I was a child sparked my interest in policing,” the recruit said. “As I grew older, I came to understand what police officers stand for, the service they provide and the difference they can make in their communities.”

Rolle brought five years of policing experience in The Bahamas, where he worked in mobile patrol and at the airport and harbour. At times, he said, he and just one other officer covered an entire division during a night shift, making communication one of his most valuable tools.

“Talking was my best friend,” he recalled. “You learn how to communicate with people, use your head and work with the community to resolve situations.”

He moved to Canada in June 2025 to join his wife, a childhood neighbour from Freeport with whom he reconnected years later. After researching several police organizations, he chose Toronto and was impressed by the attention paid throughout training to mental health and officer wellbeing.

“In every class, they reminded us to check on our mental health, take care of our wellbeing and seek help when we need it,” said Rolle, who is assigned to 55 Division. “That made me realize Toronto was the right place for me.”

Rolle received the Harry Mayzel Leadership Award, one of several honours presented during the ceremony.

Valedictorian Ryan Hill earned the High Academic Achiever Award with a mark of 95 per cent, while Paul Vegh received the Chief’s Wellbeing Award.

Michael Hannan captured the High Performance in Fitness Award, Christopher Lawrence received the Most Improved Fitness Award, Christopher Seward earned the Gulshan Kassamali Diversity & Inclusion Memorial Award and Gregery Holmes won the Drill, Dress & Deportment Award, which was renamed the Jack Reid Toronto Police Military Veterans Association Award.

Reid joined Toronto Police as a clerk in the Chief’s Office in 1941. Two years later, he took leave to enlist in the Royal Canadian Navy and served aboard HMCS Longueuil during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Four graduates -- James Pascua, Paula Huerta, Victor Onabajo and Seung Joon Lin -- previously participated in the Youth in Policing Initiative, a program that provides young people with employment and exposure to the many roles within the Service.

The recruits began their training in March with five weeks at the Toronto Police College, where instruction included the Criminal Code, the Highway Traffic Act and other provincial legislation. They also completed training in bias avoidance, Indigenous experiences, mental health and addiction, peer intervention and 2SLGBTQ+ communities before attending the Ontario Police College in Aylmer.

At Aylmer, they focused on academics, police vehicle operations, defensive tactics, firearms and physical training. They then returned to Toronto for 10 weeks of scenario-based exercises, report writing, vehicle stops and additional physical preparation.

The day after graduation, the new officers were scheduled to report to their divisions for station orientation before being paired with coach officers who will guide them through the next stage of their development.

Class 26-02 also marked the occasion through service.

Continuing a graduation tradition of supporting a community organization, the recruits collected more than 500 non-perishable food items for The Neighbourhood Organization in Thorncliffe Park.

Hill said the classmates who trained and overcame challenges together would now spread across a large city, with some friendships enduring and others becoming fond memories. He urged them to carry the lessons they learned together into the neighbourhoods they will serve.

“I’m glad I got to do this with such a formidable bunch,” he said. “Now let’s go out and make our own little corner of the universe a better place.”