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Introduction
Toronto
is a modern sprawling city that covers over 600 square kilometers
in landmass. Two and one-half million inhabitants live in every
imaginable environment within this city, from densely populated
high-rises to multi-acre estates. The daytime population, particularly
in the downtown business district, is swollen by over one-half million
additional workers who commute daily from outlying communities.
Toronto is the financial hub of Canada, a burgeoning industrial
base for Ontario, and a major convention, entertainment and tourist
venue.
The movement
of people, goods and services within the city is carried out at
a frenetic pace. The two main highways passing through Toronto,
the 401 and the Don Valley Parkway/Gardiner Expressway combination,
are among the busiest highways in North America.
The city's
dense downtown core blends smoothly into the surrounding business
and residential districts. Toronto is interwoven with numerous
parks, streams, wood lots, valleys and two main rivers. Along
its southern border, the city is nestled on the north shore of
Lake Ontario. Within the Greater Toronto jurisdiction, the lake
provides a work and recreational environment that is home to the
largest freshwater boating population in the world.
 The
delivery of police services throughout this very complex human
and geographical mosaic is a daunting task for a moderate-sized
organization such as ours. Efficient transportation of our personnel
is a critical aspect in providing necessary police services in
a timely fashion. To this end, the Toronto Police Service owns
over 1,000 vehicles, 27 horses and 18 boats. Using the appropriate
"vehicle", our officers can be rapidly deployed to the scene of
any incident within our jurisdiction. Sophisticated mobility maximizes
the effectiveness of our available resources.
The following
articles highlight some of the more significant aspects of a variety
of transportation modes utilized within the Toronto Police Service
as well as some of the events that shaped our community and us
in 1999.
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