Your new police chief
Veteran Toronto officer picked to head Hamilton's finest
November 21, 2009
John Burman and Meredith Macleod
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/676914
The city's new police chief, who worked some of Toronto's toughest streets for 29 years, says he plans to crack down on Hamilton's street crime and create a "very transparent command."
Glenn De Caire, 47, a Toronto staff superintendent, was named Hamilton's 34th top officer yesterday at police headquarters in front of about 75 officers and civilians.
The move to go outside Hamilton's police department was a surprise to some. Others had loudly called for an external appointment after a series of scandals that have rocked the service in recent years.
Police services board chair Bernie Morelli said De Caire brings a wealth of experience, and said the decision to move outside Hamilton police ranks was the right one.
"The best thing for this community at this time is the team we have in place."
De Caire said he will "focus on crimes of street disorder" -- drugs, alcohol, problem bars and prostitution -- but stressed there will be a thorough review of all crime issues with senior officers.
"Right now we're going to look at what the issues are and I believe that drugs are a problem in many neighbourhoods, but I need to understand what the complexity of the problem is here," De Caire said.
He said some street issues relate to employment, health or economic concerns, and police need to partner with the agencies that have the resources and mandate to deal with those issues.
"I'll work with the command staff and I'll work with our officers who are currently working on those problems and we'll see how we can enhance our enforcement but also how we can reach out to other agencies ... to get referrals, to get people into housing, to get people off the streets.
"It is a very complex problem and it requires a complex response."
He admitted to not being too familiar with Hamilton, having spent his entire career in Toronto.
De Caire, the son of a police officer, will be sworn in to begin his five-year contract Dec. 9.
"Frankly, I can't wait to get started," he said.
"As chief, my philosophy for Hamilton police is to engage community partners, to promote excellence in customer service, to be committed to our cause as a welcoming organization, dependent on the trust, character and good judgment of our people," De Caire said at the news conference.
De Caire and his wife, Kathy, have three adult sons.
They plan to move to Hamilton soon.
Few other details about De Caire were provided and he turned down a request to speak with The Spectator one-on-one.
Attempts to talk to his colleagues in Toronto were not successful.
De Caire promises to be accessible to Hamiltonians in the future.
"I plan on having town hall meetings and getting out to talk to the people and listening to what the concerns and issues are," he said. "I will make myself visible and available as the chief."
The chief-designate said he was "humbled" to be selected and took great pains to reach out to two deputy chiefs standing with outgoing Chief Brian Mullan at yesterday's announcement.
Both Ken Leendertse and Eric Girt were considered to be frontrunners for the job.
"As a new member of the command team, I would like to recognize the efforts of deputy chiefs Ken Leendertse and Eric Girt," De Caire said. "Your contributions and efforts to lead this service are vital to our success. I look forward to your input, advice and guidance for the future."
The appointment of Mullan's replacement was delayed and shrouded in tight secrecy for weeks.
Mullan announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31, more than five months ago.
A Toronto headhunting company has been working on finding a replacement for three months. It was the top topic of conversation at Mullan's retirement bash this week and in the halls of local police stations.
Leendertse and Girt were told about the police services board's decision Thursday.
Senior officers were told by e-mail at 9:30 a.m. yesterday but there were still some officers who only learned about the appointment from The Spectator minutes before the announcement.
Police board chair Morelli would not directly answer questions about why the decision came three weeks after an announced deadline.
The secrecy involved with the complex process, he said, was largely due to the need for confidentiality and privacy for a number of people involved, including four internal candidates and a dozen hopefuls outside the service.
"Glenn De Caire brings innovative ideas combined with a broad breadth and depth of experience dealing with policing issues," Morelli said. "With his extensive management and administrative experience, as a board we are certain the new chief, along with deputy chiefs Leendertse and Girt, will make an exceptionally strong command team."
De Caire is currently leading Central Field, one of Toronto's two police field commands, which includes nine police stations, 2,000 officers and a $200-million budget.
He is also known for bringing police surveillance cameras to Yonge Street and battling gang crime.
He has played a key role in Chief Bill Blair's Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, which has flooded officers on bike and foot patrols into troubled and violent neighbourhoods, such as Jane and Finch, Dundas and Sherbourne and Keele and Eglinton.
The goal was to get officers on the street to get to know locals and business owners on a first-name basis, weed out the bad apples and convince residents to trust and work with the police.
The initiative has been credited with dramatic drops in crime but has also been criticized by neighbourhood groups who accuse the police of heavy-handed tactics.
Leonard Reece, founder of Young Advocates Youth Organization, a social justice agency in the Jane-Finch corridor, says the anti-violence program has not helped in his neighbourhood and has not improved relationships between residents and the police.
He said he's taken his concerns to De Caire, to no avail.
"I only hope Hamilton's new police chief allows the community to play a vital role," Reece said. "The power should be in the community."
De Caire holds a liberal arts degree from York University, a human resources management certificate from York and a criminal justice education certificate from the University of Virginia. He's a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
He completed a police leadership certificate at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Business last year and is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.
Linear Mode
