Deputy Chief Robert Johnson Specialized Operations Command

Deputy Chief Johnson is a 35-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service and most recently held the position of Staff Superintendent in charge of the Service’s Strategy Management Unit. Following his appointment to Deputy Chief by the Toronto Police Services Board, Chief Myron Demkiw appointed him Deputy Chief of the Specialized Operations Command, which encompasses Intelligence Services, Organized Crime Enforcement and Specialized Criminal Investigations. These units include the Service’s high-profile investigative units, including the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit, the Integrated Guns and Gangs Task Force, the Hold-Up Squad and Forensic Identification Services.

As Staff Superintendent, he has also been responsible for Professional Standards and prior to that, Area Field Command which consisted of eight police Divisions.
Recently, Deputy Chief Johnson served as one of the Service’s steering committee leads for the last two budget processes. He has coordinated and evaluated new initiatives including the transition to the new Toronto courthouse, shift scheduling and video bail, and oversaw the Service’s support for an independent review of the Service’s response times conducted by the City of Toronto Auditor General.

Earlier in his career, he served as a member of the Police and Community Engagement Review (PACER) Committee from 2013–2017 where he provided insight into police conduct, helping to shape some of the subsequent recommendations.

As a Superintendent, Deputy Chief Johnson served as the Unit Commander of Professional Standards Investigative Unit, Central North District which consisted of 32 & 33 Division and later, 14 Division. As an Inspector he served as a service prosecutor appearing before police tribunals, was the Second in Command of the Professional Standards Investigative Unit where he oversaw criminal investigations and later complaint-intake managing all internal conduct issues. As a senior officer he also served as the Chief’s SIU Designate, OIPRD Liaison, an Incident Commander overseeing several large-scale, city-wide events, both planned and unplanned, and as a Duty Senior Officer.

He is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and sits on two committees; he is the Co-Chair of the Use of Force Committee and a member of the Policing with Indigenous Peoples Committee. Deputy Chief Johnson is also an active member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) participating in Zone 3 initiatives. In the past, he has served as President of the Toronto Police Senior Officers Organization (SOO) where he has held every Executive position on the board and has also helped advance the interests of senior police leaders in the province of Ontario through his advocacy as an Executive member of the Ontario Senior Officers Police Association (OSOPA). He is currently the Co-Chair of the Chief’s Aboriginal Consultative Committee and a member of the LGBTQ2S+ Internal Support Network (ISN) as a Senior Advisor.

Deputy Chief Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph and is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management’s Police Leadership Program. He has diplomas focusing on police leadership from both Humber and Sheridan Colleges.

As a child, Deputy Chief Johnson called many countries home, including living and attending schools in St. Lucia, Malaysia, Borneo (Brunei), as well as in Northern Saskatchewan where his connection to Indigenous communities began. Having been exposed to many different cultures and religions throughout the world, Deputy Chief Johnson has a deep understanding and appreciation for diverse communities.

Twitter: tpsjohnson

Share