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OpEd: Recent police deaths highlight the need to support grieving frontline officers
October 28, 2022

Although long retired from law enforcement, my heart still skips a beat when I hear of a police officer being killed in the line of duty. I want to drop to my knees and scream.

I can remember every police funeral I attended – whether I personally knew the officer or not, it broke my heart. Most police officers experience similar emotions I’m sure, including having the events trigger deep and dark memories from past traumatic incidents they experienced over their careers. It’s never easy and it tends to drag down the morale of all police officers in the days to follow.


Sadly, Canadian police officers have lived through that nightmare again and again over the past several weeks, each death compounding their powerful sense of loss and in some cases their diminishing resolve.



The murder of Toronto Police Const. Andrew Hong on September 21 followed by the murders of Constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup of the South Simcoe Police Service – who were also killed by gunfire less than three weeks later, left police officers devastated and many were understandably asking themselves questions about the reality of policing in 2022. Some retired officers were publicly expressing safety concerns for serving members and occasionally stating words to the effect that they wouldn’t want to be police officers in these difficult times. That expressed sentiment spreads far and wide among communities and potential police applicants.


Within weeks of those two tragedies – that had already left many officers and citizens wondering if it could possibly get worse - RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang was stabbed to death in Burnaby, BC. A fourth Canadian police officer was intentionally killed in 37 days. During all of that tragedy, Const. Travis Gillespie of the York Regional Police was killed in a traffic collision with an alleged impaired motorist while driving to work. As devastating as his death was, it did differ in that he was not actively conducting policing duties at the time of his death. Regardless, it added to the overall narrative about the dangers of policing.


All the attention to these events is understandable. It even had me pondering the risks of modern-day policing in Canada and the impact that might have on police recruiting and the future of the profession.

Canadian policing has seen similar dire trends in the past that at the time raised concerns that policing was seeing a new norm. Four RCMP officers were shot to death in an incident in Mayerthorpe, Alberta in 2005. Three more RCMP were murdered and two injured in a mass shooting in Moncton, NB in June 2014. The OPP and the Toronto Police Service have each had two officers murdered in a single incident at different times in the past 50 years. Over the course of a single calendar year, six officers were murdered a number of times in Canada – as recently as the mid 1980s.


That information is not meant to say it has been worse or to anyway downplay the tragic impact of four Canadian police officers being murdered in a four-month period. It was only provided to demonstrate that we have had horrendous years in this country in the past. At those times police officers undoubtedly questioned our ability to move forward, but we did.



For at least the past 10 years Canadian police have also been under fire from other perspectives.


Lots of individual issues can drop police morale, even without the loss of life like we have just seen. Budget and staffing levels are problematic in several jurisdictions, which ultimately impacts response times, stress and officer morale. In other cases, leadership failures at various levels in some police services have negatively impacted employee morale.

Bail and justice system issues loom large on the morale and officer safety fronts as well, when many cases dangerous individuals are arrested on gun charges while already on bail for similar offences but are seemingly released before officers have had time for a lunch break. Additionally, the anti-police “vocal-minority” vitriol of some individuals and groups that are captured in mainstream and social media feeds with cries to “defund police”, while making constant allegations of police racism and the unlawful use of force, challenges morale. Concurrently, officers respond to back-to-back traumatic incidents and to violent and protracted public protests. The ongoing stress emerging from the combined total of these challenges can very much affect a broad number of uniformed and civilian police employees.

Policing is a dangerous occupation with many risks to the physical and mental health of officers. Some detractors argue “well that’s what police sign up for”, which is ridiculous. We all know that many other careers are dangerous as well, but police face risk while serving the public and it is one of very few vocations where some people murder personnel for no other reason than their uniform. Although Canadian police are now better trained, armed and equipped than ever in our history and are well-aware of the inherent risks, none of them sign up accepting that being injured, psychologically scarred or killed simply comes with the turf.


As a group, Canadian police officers are second to none on earth. They will always face internal and external challenges in performing their duties; they will experience traumatic incidents, public criticism and sadly, the occasional loss of a colleague. I’m confident that despite those obstacles, they will continue protecting the public from victimization 24/7, 356 days a year. And thousands of young Canadians who are in high school or post-secondary education right now will apply and be hired to replace officers when they retire. But our police need our help and support.


They still don’t hear enough from the quiet majority that love and respect them. We all need to communicate our appreciation whenever we can. They do hear negativity – largely through nameless, faceless, social media trolls that either don’t have a clue of which they speak or have ridiculous and/or untrue criticisms. If have they did have a valid complaint, they’d bring it to the appropriate oversight body for investigation and let the cards fall. But instead, they anonymously fling dirt into the social media swirl to see what sticks. Good citizens could counter a lot of that damaging silliness by telling the many true stories of police professionalism and commitment to their communities.

Let’s all help these wonderful public servants through this current hard time – and offer our thanks when we see them, knowing full well that when we are at our worst in life, they will bravely respond to be there for us.

Chris Lewis is a former commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and the current public safety analyst for CTV News.

Should the Police Chief be blamed for the misdeeds of subordinates?

By Chris Lewis • February 13, 2026
I say "No."

When Oversight Becomes Overreach: Why a Few Bad Officers Must Not Redefine Policing

By Chris Lewis • February 11, 2026
Policing depends on public trust. So does police oversight. When either loses credibility, both suffer and the public they are sworn to serve isn’t sure who to believe or where to turn. In recent years, calls for stronger police oversight have grown louder, often driven by a small number of high-profile misconduct cases. Confidence in institutions by the public – often fueled by ridiculous social media theories and damnations, is more fragile than in the past, and reputational damage spreads faster. Despite the fact that Canadian police officers operate under tight legislative and regulatory frameworks that exceed any other Canadian profession in my view, existing oversight bodies feel pressure to take action quickly when bad things happen, as isolated as they may be. But there is a risk in this moment that deserves equal attention: the risk of overreach. The seven officers who have been alleged to have committed crimes – including serious ones that involve organized crime, must not be allowed to redefine an entire profession. Public trust certainly adds urgency to this moment. When corruption cases like this surface, the public does not necessarily see them as isolated failures. They see a system that is broken and in my view in this instance they see that unfairly. Policing is unlike most professions. There are over 70,000 police officers in Canada, comprised of federal, provincial and municipal officers that work under the worst of circumstances at times and face the harshest of critics. As a result of the arrests of seven serving Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers as well as a retired officer, then the subsequent suspension of two additional TPS officers and two Peel Regional Police Service officers, a large portion of the Canadian public are focusing on the ‘bad’ and forgetting the wonderful and brave police work occurring in their communities 24/7. Officers exercise coercive authority on the public on behalf of the public, often in volatile environments. They have right to take away people’s liberty and in the worst of situations to take lives. That authority most definitely demands the greatest of accountability, but it also demands reasonable, sensible and balanced oversight. Oversight systems designed around ‘worst-case scenarios’ risk governing by exception rather than thoughtful considerations and reality. One of the most overlooked consequences of overly broad oversight is its impact on ethical officers. When serious misconduct is identified, entire services face scrutiny and as a result of the Inspector General of Policing’s announcement to inspect all 45 police services in Ontario, the impacts are far reaching and not isolated to the police service of the members in question. The risk is that the resulting collective stigma will not only damage public trust but will also hurt officer morale; officer initiative may decline; recruiting could be impacted; and the reputation of the entire profession across Ontario will be damaged because of the alleged actions of a few. Oversight that blurs critical lines risks judging officers by association rather than their individual conduct. Officer trust in the oversight system and public trust in the policing profession could both be further harmed. As a result, both the Toronto Police Association and the Police Association of Ontario have rightfully expressed their concern regarding the inspection of all of Ontario’s police services. Their distress is that the announcement may be read by many that police corruption is rife across the province. At this point we do not know how much of this alleged criminal activity occurred off duty, versus on. We don’t know all the details of what they may have done and how, let alone what processes, policies or systems within the TPS that may have to be examined by the Inspector General. He may well have identified them all, but perhaps not. As the investigation portion by police continues, more things for inspection may be identified. In the meantime, I have no doubt that Ontario’s police Chiefs are reviewing their processes based on what they know so far, to ensure their policies, systems and internal oversight mechanisms are as tight as they can reasonably be. The seven charged officers are suspended and before the courts. The justice system is entrusted with dealing with these allegations from here. Others not charged but under investigation are suspended as well. There was no rush to begin a review process as this unfolds. Announcing that it will occur when the criminal investigation is complete and when they are armed with a more fulsome understanding of the issues that should be examined, would have been more appropriate. None of this lessens the need for accountability. It argues for thoughtful processes, analysis and reporting. Misconduct should be addressed decisively and dealt with through due process as it is, but broad oversight driven by isolated wrongdoings risks weakening the institutions we all depend on. Public trust matters. Undoubtedly. But so does institutional trust in police officers. In my view, processes that signal broad-based suspicion undermine the trust they are meant to protect. Oversight works best when it is firm, fair, and controlled.

Police corruption arrests: How do we move on from here?

By Chris Lewis • February 7, 2026
Thursday’s announcement of the arrest of seven serving and one retired Toronto police officers for corruption, was a dark moment for policing in Canada and for the communities that trust their police to always do what is honest and right. At times like this it is too easy for us all to lose trust in those in which we should hold the highest level of trust in society, because of the actions of a few. I believe that we must remind ourselves about all that is good in policing in Canada – where training, standards, equipment, professionalism, governance and competence are second to none in the world. I view this as both bad news and good news stories. The bad news is that seven officers allegedly broke their oaths and committed heinous crimes. Startling, sad and completely unacceptable for the profession and more importantly for the public they were sworn to serve. The “good” news (although I struggle with the word) is that the system worked. Suspicions arose about a certain Toronto Police (TPS) officer’s potential involvement in a crime in York Region. Police there notified the Chief of the TPS, and they quickly agreed that York Regional Police (YRP) would lead the investigation, and TPS would remain in a support role by providing Professional Standards investigators and other assistance as required. I assume that would mean investigative support personnel and access to internal information about the TPS officers in question, like their schedules; what police cars they were driving; assignments and personnel file information, at minimum. By design, the TPS Chief did not have decision-making authority in the investigation. None of that raises any red flags for me. This was a large and complex investigation that eventually involved 400 officers and would require highly experienced investigators and specialty personnel. YRP and TPS have all of that and more. The leaders that addressed the media spoke competently and professionally, leaving no doubt that they would leave no stone unturned. Evidence was gathered and arrests of officers and others were made. The public was then appropriately advised of as many details as we have ever seen released in a media conference when charges were before the courts and an investigation ongoing. TPS Chief Demkiw announced he was seeking to suspend at least some of the officers without pay. That is something that has only recently became acceptable under Ontario’s policing regulations and must be used judiciously. Of course, social media “experts” and anti-police pundits took over from there. Please allow me to offer answers to some of the most consistent queries: Why wasn’t an independent oversight body like the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) brought on to investigate? Police shouldn’t investigate police! It’s not the legislated mandate of the SIU to conduct criminal investigations into police except in specific circumstances around police use of force or sexual assault. Nor is it the mandate of Ontario’s Inspectorate of Policing. These governing bodies do not possess the expertise or resources to conduct massive criminal investigations into officers and organized crime groups. Only large police services have the critical mass and knowledge to manage such difficult operations. An option for Chief Demkiw was to let his Professional Standards personnel be the liaison for TPS information and potential Police Act charges against TPS personnel that might emerge but leave the investigative support/assistance piece to another large outside service. That would’ve helped suppress any concern around TPS investigating their own. But police services often conduct criminal investigations into their own people with regularity in Ontario, unless they involve senior officers. There’s no hard and fast rule or Ministry guidelines on the issue to my knowledge. The Toronto Chief should step down. This happened under his watch. I cannot speak to his day-to-day job performance, but in my view, Chief Demkiw did not handle this case wrongly. The alleged illegal actions of 0.12% of his police personnel do not justify his removal. If he knew and didn’t take action that would be different but there is no suggestion of him doing anything but throwing his full support behind the YRP investigation. Again, perhaps he should’ve kept TPS out of it as much as possible, but that was a judgement call made in the early stages of an investigation that grew very large over time. All cops are corrupt. Why didn’t other officers stop them? What? This was seven officers in a police service of almost 6000 TPS officers and out of over 70,000 police officers in Canada. It is awful, without a doubt and concerning to say the least, but this does not mean there is a wave of police corruption and ties to organized crime across the nation. As this criminality unfolded and as we speak, thousands of officers are on the streets of Canada, saving lives and risking their own; patrolling communities; preventing crime and victimization; responding to life and death situations; arresting evil criminals and more. They do that professionally, bravely and honestly, or they are held to account under various laws and disciplinary processes. They are governed and regulated more than any other profession in Canada. Yes, some cops (even one is too many) out of those 70,000, commit crimes in their careers, which is unacceptable. Some of that occurs while they are on duty, some not. It is disappointing when it happens, but with rare exception police leaders will not accept it and will deal with it expeditiously through due process. In cases where a police supervisor or executive doesn’t take proper action, they will be held to account as well. As a rule, no one hates dirty cops more than honest cops. They hurt the profession as a whole across the continent. Canadian officers take a reputational hit regardless of where the wrongdoing occurs in North America. We don’t know the details yet of what these accused officers were doing or how much of it they were doing on the job, versus off duty. IF evidence comes to light in the ongoing investigation that colleague officers knew or participated in any way in the criminality, they will be in trouble as well. Let’s not jump to conclusions that other officers “must have known” and let the investigation run its course. Why do officers not have more oversight on the use of police databases? Police officers and a number of civilian colleagues have access to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) database that holds all licenced driver and vehicle registration information in Ontario. Most police cars have computers in them that can access that information, which includes driver’s and owners’ addresses. It is accessed non-stop, 24/7, as a regular part of core police business. Other databases involving outstanding warrants and criminal history, as well as occurrence records are similarly accessed. Government employees that work at MTO or in some other Ministries have like access to people’s names and addresses. That is reality in all 10 provinces. We cannot limit legitimate government employee access to vital systems on the off chance they may be inappropriately used. That includes those that we entrust to carry guns and make life and death decisions. When such databases are misused in some way, proper action must be taken promptly, as it was in this case, as opposed to hamstringing the operability of several hundred thousand honest employees across Canada. Canadian police officers are internationally highly-regarded, but they are human, have frailties and will honestly err on occasion while truly trying to do their best. That can be dealt with and repaired when it occurs. But when officers commit acts of malice, they will be appropriately held accountable and dealt with through due process. That is the bedrock of Canadian policing. Public trust in police is paramount to effective policing, and largely we enjoy that in our country. We cannot let this dark day define what policing actually is in Toronto or anywhere in Canada. Canadians should move forward with confidence that the system did work in this case. Those that violated our trust are before the courts. The vast, vast majority of officers that are still out there bravely doing what they do so well, will never let us down. Please give them a chance.