A class of 146 new police officers marched into their new careers all carrying with them the goal of serving their community.
“I am incredibly happy and excited for each and every one of you as I welcome you to our police family,” Chief Myron Demkiw told the recruits assembled at the Toronto Police College. “I look forward to supporting you as you begin your career as a Toronto Police officer. Each of you brings unique and diverse life experiences and intersectional identities to your policing career.
“Your language skills, your academic excellence and your lived experiences will serve you well throughout your career and they will also help you better understand and relate to our diverse communities and community members. While you each have come from different backgrounds with unique combinations of education and experiences, you also share many similarities. You are alike in your compassion for others and your desire to selflessly serve your communities. It is these similarities that brought all of you together six months ago right here.”
The graduates ages range from 21 to 51 and 77 of them speak a second language and 75% hold post-secondary degrees and diplomas, including five Master’s.
With the newly minted officers, Demkiw shared three important lessons he said he wished he had known when he joined the Service in 1990.
“It is important to seek first to understand before you seek to be understood,” he said. “I have learned, sometimes the hard way, just how important it is to listen and understand first. Listen very carefully to your supervisors, your Coach Officers, your community and, of course, your significant other. And always remember that community members call us when they need our help the most. They may need that help on one of the most challenging days of their lives.”
The Chief also encouraged the newcomers to enhance their knowledge through continuous learning and prioritize and practice self-care.
“As police officers, our health, safety and well-being are essential for us to serve our communities effectively,” Demkiw pointed out. “I am confident that if I had prioritized and practiced better self-care, I would have been better able to serve our communities throughout my career.”
Speaking directly to the recruits families, the Chief said their loved ones are in safe hands.
“I want you to know that we have done and will continue to do everything possible to ensure your favourite officer is as safe as they can possibly be and that they have the best available training, equipment and support through guidance and supervision to help keep them safe,” he said.
“Your favourite officer is part of one of the most highly trained recruit classes in the history of the Toronto Police Service and your favourite officer is a member of our police family and, by extension, you are also now part of our police family. Your favourite officer’s health, safety and well-being is and will always be my top priority.”