Feb
27, 2007
Presenting: 55 Division – A Lesson
in Community Policing in the Beach
As always, Gene Domagala is the
perfect person to make connections. With the date for my photo exhibition
rapidly approaching and the need to finalize my articles and get
the photos ready, I had not planned to do any further interviews,
but Gene suggested that one organization could not be missing from
my article series about the Beach: Toronto
Police Service 55 Division, an organization with whom all the
special events organizers work regularly. In his words 55 Division
is extremely supportive of the Beach and a very positive force in
the community.
Gene made a phone call to the station, and within minutes of the
phone call I hopped in my car to drive to Dundas and Coxwell Avenues
to meet the officers at 55 Division. Gene introduced me to Superintendent
Wayne Peden, the head of the station and after introducing the Celebrate
Toronto project Superintendend Peden started to give me a general
overview of 55 Division. He explained that the policing area of
55 Division extends from the Don River in the west and to Victoria
Park Avenue in the east, and from Danforth Avenue in the north to
Lake Ontario in the south.
Superintendent Peden added that the police play a critical role
in all the public events in the Beach, including the Beaches
Jazz Festival, the Easter Parade and the Ashbridges Bay Fireworks.
He used to work in this area in the 1980s and was just transferred
back to this station last year. According to Superintendent Peden
the Beach is a very safe area, with the main concerns being traffic
and parking. He described the Beach as an excellent place to live
and work. Many police offers want to work at this station, and Superintendent
Peden enjoys his new location.
55 Division has about 235 employees including front line officers,
detectives and investigative offers as well as community response
officers who work with the community to resolve issues. Examples
could include barking dogs, or driveway disputes, or teenagers that
might be up to mischief. The idea is to resolve issues before they
become problems.
During big events 55 Division officers work with the organizing
committees of the respective events to ensure that the festival
or the parade are going to run smoothly with minimal inconvenience
to the locals. During major events for example, all the main streets
north and south of Queen Street East have to be blocked off, and
this is 55 Division’s responsibility. Once the roads are closed,
the organizers take over and handle things from there.
Gene Domagala with Superintendent Wayne Peden
Superintendent Peden started to fill me in on some of the community
issues that are going on in 55 Division: from volleyball programs
for teenagers from at-risk communities to school safety and anti-bullying
education programs, officers from 55 Division are involved in a
wide variety of community endeavours about which I would shortly
learn more. The Superintendent added that his station has a very
good working relationship with the community and the politicians
in the area. 55 Division strives to provide a strong visible presence
and to be recognized as an integral part of the community.
As he had to go, Superintendent Peden handed me over to Sergeant
John Spanton who was going to explain things to me I more detail.
He explained that there are several different units within 55 Division:
a Primary Response Unit (PRU) that involves first line policing,
emergency call response and apprehension of criminals. In addition
community problems and outreach is handled by the Community Response
Unit (CRU). Sergeant Spanton added that the division has one officer
who is in charge of educational outreach in elementary schools;
in addition two full-time officers handle the liaison with local
high schools.
One of the important mandates of the Toronto
Police Service is to encourage greater community integration.
In addition a concerted effort has been made to attract more visible
minorities and women into the police force. Sergeant Spanton explained
that today many of the officers that are being hired are quite a
bit older than what used to be the case in the past. The recruiting
process takes life experience into consideration, and Toronto’s
demographic diversity is increasingly being reflected in the faces
of the Toronto Police Service. A wide variety of different ethnic
and cultural groups are represented within Sergeant Spanton’s
own team of officers. More officers with different language skills
are being hired as well to be able to communicate with the various
immigrant groups that call Toronto their home.
Regina La Borde, Elementary School Liaison Officer
Another officer joined us: Regina La Borde is a 15-year veteran
with the Toronto Police Force and now a full-time Elementary School
Liason Officer. After many years of front-line policing she has
become a full-time educator and crime prevention officer for 55
Division. Her curriculum includes topics such as traffic safety
rules and not talking to strangers which are taught to children
in junior and senior kindergarden. In Grade 2 safety and street
proofing continues. Topics such as what to do when you get lost
and telling your parents at all times where you are and what you
are doing get covered. The curriculum for Grade 4 includes Internet
safety and cyber-bullying. The concept of never talking to any strangers,
even online, is emphasized as well.
In Grade 5 bullying becomes the key topic while drug awareness
takes centre stage in Grade 6. Students learn about the different
types of drugs, such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or ecstasy;
they also get educated about the drugs' biochemical effects as well
as about the legal consequences that can happen if they get involved
in drug use. In Grade 8 the focus is on youth violence and gangs
to prepare students for what they might be facing in high school.
Materials such as videotapes and Powerpoint presentations are used
to illustrate the concepts, and the entire curriculum is presently
being updated to reflect current realities.
Officer La Borde indicated that she does these teaching assignments
in uniform and added that her job is very rewarding because at this
age children are very open to learning, and they have a consistently
positive image of the police.
Sergeant Spanton continued that police officers come out to local
elementary schools in the division to participate in fair days or
fun days. Community Response Unit officers make an appearance in
uniform and give the children an opportunity to explore the features
of a police car and to get to know the officers. On various occasions
children from different daycare services have a chance to get a
tour of the police station. All these functions are part of the
public outreach and education function of the police.
He went on to explain that two full-time officers in 55
Division are dedicated to the local high schools. They make
an appearance at high school basketball games or swim meets, and
often police officers participate in friendly competitions with
the local high school sports teams. The children have a great time
competing against the officers, and it gives them a chance to get
to know the officers from a human point of view.
In elementary schools officers also offer bicycle safety courses
and provide safety checks for the children’s bikes, another
opportunity to see the human side of the officers. The focus in
elementary schools is on crime prevention and pro-activeness while
in high school the police officers’ role becomes more reactive
and focused on education and enforcement.
Shoe-shining station in the basement
Sergeant Spanton also explained that in addition to the CRU (Community
Response Unit) officers there are Primary Response Unit officers
who handle emergency calls and apprehend criminals. A full-time
Crime Prevention Officer interacts with local store owners and residents
about how to safety-proof homes and businesses. A Community Relations
Officer looks after seniors and mentally ill individuals. These
officers often become the liaison person with other social service
agencies or local hospitals.
Sergeant Spanton himself supervises a Community Response Unit team,
and in the winter he has eight officers reporting to him while the
number goes up to ten officers in the summer. He also attends management
meetings to identify problem areas in the division which will then
be taken into account in the deployment of manpower. Special events
and crime “hot spots” are considered in the allocation
of resources. The officers’ hours are changed depending on
the problems that may arise in the community. In the spring as daylight
gets longer, work hours for many officers are changed to go from
4 pm to 2 am.
He also explained that many officers walk the beat in the Beach
all year round. they start at Lee and Queen and talk to store owners
about crime and safety. When the weather gets nice several officers
are deployed on bicycles to patrol the green spaces and parklands
close to the waterfront to ensure that the general public is safe
in these popular recreational spaces. The “Parks Project”
for example is intended to provide police presence in the outdoor
recreational areas and to deal with groups of teenagers that might
assemble in the evenings which occasionally may lead to trouble.
A visible police presence discourages these crowds from gathering,
and the officers educate and encourage the youth to disperse when
it gets dark to prevent issues from happening. As a result, single
women going jogging can feel quite feel safe and secure when they
choose to work out in these areas, and a consistent police presence
goes a long way towards ensuring public safety. Sergeant Spanton
emphasized that the Beach gets the service it gets because it is
receptive to the police. He added “we are here to help”.
Sergeant John Spanton and Staff Sergeant Steve Tracy
The entire philosophy of the Toronto
Police Service is heavily focused on community-oriented policing
which is a number one priority. The public should understand that
the police are accessible and available, and what makes 55 Division
unique is that the community takes full advantage of the services
offered by the police.
Staff Sergeant Steve Tracy explained some additional concepts to
me. He indicated that the officers in charge of the high school
programs also run the ESP Program: a Toronto-wide initiative, the
Empowered Student Partnership program is a peer mentoring program
where students plan, organize and execute a year-long safe schools
initiative in their local schools and communities. They are empowered
to take the necessary actions to solve issues specific to their
school and are able to utilize programs or guest speakers that are
available to them through the Police Coordinator at Community Programs,
Youth Services.
One important corporate partner of the Toronto Police Service is
Tim Horton’s which has created a so-called “Earn A Bike”
program, targeted at children between ages 12 and 15. In return
for providing 30 hours of supervised community service, children
who would not otherwise be able to afford a bicycle participate
in park cleanups, graffiti eradication and other community based
programs. In the process they gain a totally new understanding of
the role of the police as well as a new perspective on mischief
such as graffiti. At the end of the program these children are presented
with a bicycle and a helmet by Tim Horton’s, and last year
14 children in 55 Division had an opportunity to participate in
this program. Staff Sergeant Tracy says that “small things
like this can have a big impact on the community”.
He also explained that 55 Division has an auxiliary police program
that encompasses volunteer police officers that often help with
crowd control during special events like the Toronto
International Beaches Jazz Festival or the Taste of the Danforth.
These are trained civilian volunteers, outfitted in uniforms that
are similar to those of full-fledged police officers, and they are
trained in civilian authority and basic use of force. Their equipment
includes a baton and handcuffs, and their main role is to assist
with community events.
Events like the Beaches Jazz Festival that attract large crowds
require a large uniformed presence to provide for safety and public
confidence. Auxiliary police officers also help to locate missing
children during special events; in addition they assist with community
outreach and crime prevention and play a critical role in supporting
the police force which, like any other city department, is facing
limited resources.
Community mobilization is also an important objective of the Toronto
Police Service. With an $800 million budget the Police Force
is highly accountable to local taxpayers, and a two-year business
plan lays out the service’s priorities for the next two years.
Community mobilization also encompasses turning Community Response
Unit officers into “long-term problem solvers” dealing
with problem addresses, neighbhourhood disputes, noise complaints
or other community problems that do not have an immediate fix.
The women's holding cells
Staff Sergeant Steve Tracy explains that problem addresses often
have some criminal element associated with them, for example drugs
might be at the root of the problem. But there are also other stakeholders
involved, for example a negligent landlord. The problem address
might affect Social Services, the Department of Public Health, Bylaw
Enforcement or the Fire Department, and might require a holistic
solution in order to solve the problem. Cases like these are not
just a police issue. The police’s role is to involve the various
stakeholders to get the problem fixed. Simple examples of community
mobilization include Neighbourhood Watch programs where the neighbourhood
starts to solve its own problems. The Police Services simply do
not have enough resources to handle all issues, and it becomes critical
to mobilize the community and involve them in the problem solving
process.
We also touched on the role of the CPLCs: the Toronto-wide Community
Police Liaison Committees are made up of community volunteers and
police service representatives from each division. Each committee
is intended to reflect the demographics of the local community to
work together in identifying, prioritizing and problem-solving of
local policing issues. The CPLCs achieve this by being proactive
in community relations, crime prevention, education, mobilization
and communications initiatives, and by acting as a resource to the
police and the community.
In the Beach, for example, the Community Police Liaison Committee
would have representatives from the main business improvement areas
as well as major event promoters and regular citizens. This gives
all the stakeholders a chance to hear one another’s voice,
and Staff Sergeant Tracy adds that at 55 Division the CPLC works
extremely well. Resources, ideas and information are shared for
the benefit of the entire community. The Community Police Liaison
Committee also has a Youth Scholarship Fund where money is raised
for bursaries that go to local high school students. The entire
community is working together to make the neighbourhood a better
place.
Individual police stations participate in a variety of corporate
initiatives, and many initiatives are the results of partnerships
with the community. Basketball and volleyball programs, for example,
are funded by ProAction
Cops and Kids, a non-profit organization designed to provide
funding for programs targeted at at-risk youth. These programs are
designed for youth between 11 and 18 years of age and allow police
officers and at-risk youth to interact in constructive, non-confrontational
circumstances to develop a better understanding of one another.
Programs encompass arts, sports, education, safety, mentorship and
camping, and to get a better understanding of ProAction’s
role in the Beach community I had a chance to talk to Police Constable
Lisa Cowling.
PC Troy Lashley and PC Lisa Cowling
Together with Police Constable Troy Lashley, PC Lisa Cowling created
a beach volleyball program for children at risk. In the summer of
2006, 18 male and 20 female students aged 11 to 16 years old were
selected from two different community centres, and they would take
turns coming down to Ashbridges Bay on a Wednesday evening to learn
how to play beach volleyball. ProAction
provided the funding for nets, balls and refreshments, and every
evening would be capped off with a barbecue. Police Constable Cowling
explained that the participants were taught the basic skills of
the beach volleyball, but also other concepts such as camaraderie,
teamwork, honesty and fairness.
Many of these children had never had an opportunity to spend much
time at Toronto’s waterfront, and this was also an ideal way
of getting to know police officers on a human level. The officers
would be running the program in plain clothes, and by the end of
the program real friendships had developed. On the final day of
the program, a big barbecue was held for the two groups from the
different community centres, and two professional Beach volleyball
players came out and played games with the kids. Fred Koops, owner
of local beach volleyball outfitter Overkill
designed and donated t-shirts for the children. This coming year,
other police divisions will be invited to select their own at-risk
youth to participate in the program and the program will be expanded.
My visit to 55 Division was capped off with a guided tour through
the facility by PC Cowling. She showed me the entire three levels
of the building, including the holding cells for men, women and
teenagers.
The "Beat The Heat" beach volleyball program in action
This afternoon had been a fascinating lesson in policing, and my
eyes were truly opened to the broad range of positive roles that
the police play in the community. The motto of the Toronto
Police Service “To serve and Protect” is
definitely being put into action in the Beach.
Related Articles:
Celebrate Toronto
- An article series to celebrate my chosen home town
Gene Domagala - A human convenience
store of charity and community involvement in Toronto's Beach
Arie Nerman & the Beach Hebrew Institute:
The People's Synagogue
Vivetha Bistro: A popular spot
with eclectic food
Glenn Cochrane - Media
personality, author and expert fundraiser – a champion of
the Beach for almost 40 years
Michelle Gebhart: A
true Renaissance woman: from army brat to expert renovator, biker
lady, successful restaurateur & dedicated youth volunteer
Michael Prue: A working class success
story - from Regent Park to Queens Park
Alex Winch & the
Beach Solar Laundromat – Unstoppable when it comes to championing
renewable energy & innovative entrepreneurship
Mary Lee: A restaurant owner with a heart
for the arts
Marie Perrotta from the Pegasus
Community Project reaches for the stars
Burgie and Benedetta from the Konditor
coffeehouse create Austrian delicacies in Toronto's Beach
Bob Murdoch from Community Centre
55 - 25 years of community service in the Beach
Steve and Paul from Accommodating
the Soul B&B: hospitality with a personal touch
John Dowding: A private lesson in
photography from a true master
Lucille Crighton: A textile
arts Hall of Famer in Toronto's Beach
Lido Chilelli: Founder
of the Toronto International Beaches Jazz Festival
Fire Station 227: History, heroism
and local connections in the Beach
The Green Eggplant: Healthy Mediterranean
food and big solid portions
The Balmy Beach Club - Legend
by the Lake & Toronto's best-kept secret
The Garden Gate Restaurant a.k.a. "The
Goof" - Good food in the Beach since 1952
Ralph Noble: Firefighter,
lifesaver and creator of the most famous mural in the Beach –
a noble man indeed
Sandra Bussin
- City Councillor and Deputy Mayor shows me her neighbourhood
The Toronto Beach Rotary Club:
Service above Self and the joys of volunteering
The Beaches Lions
Club: Charity and community projects in the Beach since 1935
The Beach Business
Improvement Area: A general overview of the Beach and the merchants
and activities on Queen Street East
Maria Minna:
An Italian-Canadian immigrant story and a life-long fight for social
justice
The Beach Metro Community
News: Much more than just the news
The Kingston Road Business Community:
A neighbourhood undergoing revitalization and an integral part of
the Beach
Andrew Smith and Rachel Howard:
Creative entrepreneurs and dedicated community builders
Nevada's Ristorante: Where
hospitality is a family affair
Maria Minna: Another neighbourhood
walk and talk and discoveries along Queen Street East
St. Aidan's Church:The spirit of charity
in the Beach comes full circle
Gene Domagala takes me on a history
tour of the eastern and northern part of the Beach - a perfect day
of discovery
The Beaches Library: A centre
of learning for all ages
A walk along Kingston Road:
A shopping district definitely worth a visit
55 Division: Serving and protecting
- community policing in action
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