Enhancements to Neighbourhood Community Officer Program

Enhancements to Neighbourhood Community Officer Program

Thursday, September 12, 2019 - 10:45 AM
Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit
416-808-0185

Chief Mark Saunders announced enhancements to the Neighbourhood Community Officer Program (NCOP) at a news conference on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

Watch the News Conference

Currently, there are 44 Neighbourhood Community Officers - including four Sergeants - operating with enhancements in 41, 42, 11 and 22 Divisions. These enhancements will now be adopted by all remaining 83 Neighbourhood Community Officers, bringing the total to 127 NCOs, servicing 35 City of Toronto Neighbourhoods.

The Neighbourhood Community Officer enhancements, include:

- standardized mandate to focus on building partnerships in the community and working towards long-term solutions to public safety and disorder issues
- community-centric training specific to their role
- assigned to each neighbourhood for at least four years
- identified as NCOs on uniforms and vehicles
- access their work environment through a mobile device allowing officers to spend more time in their assigned neighbourhoods

Watch Neighbourhood Community Officer introduction video

Chief Mark Saunders said the Neighbourhood Community Officer role is important to TPS strategy to be where the community needs police most.

"The program puts community at the heart of our work. It’s important because it’s also a commitment we made in The Way Forward. We know success here is about trust. It’s about building and keeping trust in our day-to-day policing."

Humber College Faculty of Community and Social Services Professor Doug Thomson said a new report on community and police perspectives about the program will be ready in 2020.

"So far, the results we have collected from Toronto communities show neighbourhood residents feel safer in their communities and are less afraid of crime and the threats of gangs. The results also show community members see the Neighbourhood Community Officers as important members of their communities, and feel comfortable approaching them."

For more information and videos on the program, visit the NCOP webpage.

Kevin Masterman, Corporate Communications, for Superintendent David Rydzik, Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit