President ’s Message

By Jim MacSween, Chief of Police, York Regional Police

As police leaders, living in uncertain times is part of the fabric of our professional lives.

When I decided to join policing 34 years ago, I knew that there would be challenging days for me as a law enforcement professional and as a person.

The past few years have certainly brought us many situations that have changed the way we do business in policing. Whether those things were social upheavals, economic uncertainty, armed conflicts across the globe with local repercussions or the demanding work involved in safeguarding all communities and the well-being of our police members, there has been no shortage of things to keep us up at night.

Talking Leadership

Everyone is talking about leadership these days. It seems that everywhere I go, the conversation inevitably turns to how we can better lead and support our organizations and people. During my time on the OACP’s Board of Directors, we have discussed the situations we are facing as Ontario’s police leaders. We have also shared the things that have worked and sometimes have not worked within our own organizations.

Talking and learning about leadership is critical to actually leading empowering police organizations.

I note that guest speakers at our 2023 Police Leadership Program received a copy of Dr. Rose Patten’s recent book , Intentional Leadership: The Big 8 Capabilities Setting Leaders Apart. Dr. Patten was elected Chancellor of the University of Toronto in 2018 and is the Adjunct Professor and Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management, teaching senior leadership, talent and succession, and governance. She is also Special Advisor to the CEO and senior executives at BMO Financial Group, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2007, and was recently appointed Honorary Colonel at the Canadian Armed Forces College.

Dr. Patten writes, “We can thrive as leaders by intentionally and deliberately reinventing ourselves, checking our beliefs and placing far greater emphasis on human skills and other select but highly personal leadership qualities.” This concept of intentionality is critical for police leaders. Are we developing leaders who lead with a sense of purpose and intentionality that inspires and supports our members? Is our leadership grounded in our authentic selves? As leaders, are we showing humility when working collaboratively with all members of our organizations? Are we rooted in personal and organizational ethics that won’t crack under public scrutiny or personal attacks?

Leadership Matters

Leadership is not encapsulated in a social media posting or public posturing on often complex issues. Real leadership involves dialogue, collaboration, listening intently and asking for assistance when we do not have all the answers. It’s also important to admit that we do not know everything and that we commit ourselves to doing our best to find the solutions to often complex problems.

In 2024, OACP members and policing professionals will have opportunities to focus on leadership at our annual Leadership Conference. The sessions at our 2024 Annual Conference in London (June 9-12) will focus on leadership within our organizations and our communities, and as we look to the future, I encourage you, as a police leader, to make sincere authentic leadership a hallmark of who and what you are. Together, all of us can make a real difference in the lives of our members and the communities we serve.

Chief Jim MacSween served as OACP President in 2023-2024.

HQ Winter 2024 Digital Page Flip Edition

Link here for the HQ Winter 2024 edition in flip book format

Forensic Evidence: Collection vs. Intelligence Gathering

It is a viciously cold night in february and homicide is called to attend a shooting in a sparsely populated area of your city. As your investigators approach the scene, they note several pieces of evidence that need to be collected before the forecasted heavy snow rolls in. Your forensics team is called in to attend and sends two officers to begin the documentation and collection of items that lay about the scene.

Harnessing Geographic Data Technology

In an era flooded with data and technology, law enforcement finds itself grappling with a paradoxical issue: having too much information, yet not the right kind to empower officers on the ground. How do police organizations wade through large amounts of data and transform it into actionable insights for their frontline members? The answers lie within evidence-based policing, an approach that combines law enforcement with the precision of data analytics.

THE FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP IN POLICING

Under the leadership of Chief Jim MacSween, the executive leadership team at York Regional Police (YRP) established a mission to re-imagine leadership development within the organization. YRP knew that standardizing leadership principles and delivering them to all ranks of the organization would enrich the development of ethical and professional leaders.

The Tri-Party Responsibility in Employee Wellness

The conversation around employee wellness in policing is gaining increasing priority for all police personnel for many good and justifiable reasons. This conversation was exacerbated by a global pandemic where law enforcement professionals may have been disproportionately impacted by a variety of challenges, including vulnerable populations, anti-vax advocates and others whose mental health was significantly impacted by restrictions, lack of social and economic opportunities,

What We Can Learn in Policing from Wildfires

I had trouble figuring out where to begin this year’s renewed version of the Police Leadership Program. The challenge was too many options. The leadership issues in policing today range all the way, for example, from community mental health to organizational budgeting to technical skill development.