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"An
Introduction..." |
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| First
Class |
| 1834 |
First
full-time High Constable |
| 1859 |
First
Board of Commissioners of Police, which assumed control of the city police
from Municipal council. The Board included the Mayor, the Recorder or
County Judge, and the Police Magistrate. New discipline and standards
came to the service. |
| 1837 |
First
uniforms, which were forest green |
| 1874 |
First
use of communications technology, the telegraph, which linked four stations. |
| 1876 |
First
all-night patrols,extending police coverage around the clock. |
| 1880 |
First
police benefit fund.The first beneficiary, who resigned from the service
due to ill health, received $29.64 a month for the rest of his life. |
| 1884 |
First
electric streetlights,welcomed by police walking the night beat - and
cursed by would-be wrongdoers. |
| 1886 |
First
mounted unit, which patrolled outlying areas and controlled speeding horses. |
| 1887 |
First
call box. |
| 1894 |
First
bicycles for patrols, a first for any police service in North America. |
| 1895 |
First
police boat,to suppress illegal fishing, shooting and bathing. |
| 1906 |
First
use of fingerprinting. |
| 1907 |
First
parking ticket issued (there were only 1,500 cars in all of Ontario!). |
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Did you know...
The payscale in 1886 was: 3rd class const, $1.35 per day, 2nd class const.
$1.60 per day, 1st class const. $1.90 per day, Det./Sgt., $2.55 per day, Inspector,
$2.90 per day.
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Well
over one and a half centuries have passed since the muddy town of “York” was
re-named “Toronto” in 1834. In that year Mayor William Lyon Mackenzie headed
the city with a population of just 9,000 people. That same year, the Toronto
Police Force had its humble beginnings when the first full-time High Constable
was appointed to lead a handful of volunteers.
There were no permanent
officers, Constables were simply hired as needed. It wasn’t until a year
later that five paid Constables were hired. Back then, the focus of police
activity was on the business district of Yonge street, from the lake-front
all the way north to Dundas Street. One of the original police responsibilities?
Catching Yonge Street shop-keepers who threw their garbage on the street!
As we begin the
21st Century, the Toronto Police Service employs over 5,000 officers and more
than 2,000 civilian staff.
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We are one of the largest
municipal police services in North America, responsible for policing a vibrant
city of almost 2.5 million, and receiving over 1.7 million calls for service
a year.
Though the challenges
of policing and the city have changed immeasurably, one thing has remained
the same - the dedication with which our people serve the citizens of this
city.
The confidence we
have in the future of our Service is due in a large part to the pride we have
in our past. On these pages, you’ll learn about the legacy of the Toronto
police service.
We haven’t set out
to document every aspect of our development in this pamplet. This is
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more
of an informal history, capturing, through words and pictures, just some of
the events and milestones that have shaped us. |
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To
the Dogs
“Man’s
best friend” is also a crime-fighting ally. After years as a volunteer
operation, the canine crew gained official recognition in 1989. Police
dogs - which include German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Malinois
-assist in searches for missing persons, suspects or evidence, and
detect drugs and explosives. Like their human colleagues, police dogs
undergo months of extensive training, to prepare for their duties.
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