The Police Officer of the Year Award is an annual tribute dinner held by the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
The Board created the award in 1967. Its purpose is to recognize members of the Toronto Police Service who have made significant contributions to making Toronto one of the safest cities in the world. Each month, an officer is selected for Police Officer of the Month, based on the following criteria: bravery, humanitarianism, superior investigative work and outstanding police skills.
Three years ago, the TPS Business Excellence Award was created. Its purpose is to recognize members of the Toronto Police Service who have made significant contributions to the Toronto Police Service and the City of Toronto. Each submission is judged on the following criteria: innovation, community service, technical achievement and customer service and reliability.
This year's Police Officer of the Year event will be held at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, 1 First Canadian Place, on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at 6 p.m.
Click here for promotional video for the Award dinner event.
Leading up to the event, we will be presenting the stories of those nominated for the Police Officer of the Year and for the TPS Business Excellence Award.
The Police Officer of the Month for December 2012: Constable Alan Fujino, formerly of 51 Division
On May 29, 1993, police were contacted regarding a missing woman and her 1 1/2-year-old daughter. The mother had left Toronto with the child following a custody dispute. A warrant was issued for Abduction in Contravention of a Custody Order.
The child's disappearance was registered with missing children's agencies in Canada and the United States. Over the course of 18 years, the police, missing children's agencies and the father of the abducted child followed up on tips of possible sightings and information.
In September 2011, a tip was received through the Missing Children Society of Canada indicating that the woman might be living on Vancouver Island under an assumed name. After working with several police agencies and conducting an investigation, Constable Fujino eliminated Persons of Interest with similar names as the one provided via the tip.
In addition to police surveillance on various addresses, Constable Fujino utilized facial recognition software to compare a historical photograph of the suspect with a current drivers license photo of a woman believed to be living under a new name similar to that offered in the tip. The Crowns Office requested that all reasonable efforts be made to absolutely confirm the suspect in British Columbia was the wanted woman.
Through a variety of investigative means, Constable Fujino was able to locate a tissue sample from 1988 suitable for DNA comparison, obtained a warrant to seize the sample for analysis, and requested Victoria Police obtain a discarded DNA sample from the woman for comparison.
During this time, social media was utilized to locate the missing child, who was now attending a University in southern Ontario.
On November 28, 2011, the Centre of Forensic Sciences announced a positive DNA match, confirming the identity of the woman. Constable Fujino coordinated with Victoria Police and, in December 2011, the woman was arrested.
Constable Fujino arranged for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, based in Manitoba, to assist him with the difficult task of notifying the now 20-year-old daughter of her true identity and of the sequence of events that had taken place since 1993.
The woman was eventually returned to Toronto to answer to the charge of Abduction.
A search warrant was executed at the woman's home in Victoria, B.C. and evidence suggests that the woman and her child, under assumed names, initially fled to Vancouver Island, crossed the border into the United States, and lived in at least three different states. They then went to Ireland, where they remained for seven years until returning to Vancouver Island where she was arrested.
Furthermore, several Production Orders were completed by Constable Fujino and served on Ontario government agencies on behalf of B.C. authorities who began to investigate the suspects fraudulent identifications obtained in their province.
In recognition of his superior investigative work and outstanding police skills, Constable Alan Fujino has been selected as Police Officer of the Month for December 2012.
The Board created the award in 1967. Its purpose is to recognize members of the Toronto Police Service who have made significant contributions to making Toronto one of the safest cities in the world. Each month, an officer is selected for Police Officer of the Month, based on the following criteria: bravery, humanitarianism, superior investigative work and outstanding police skills.
Three years ago, the TPS Business Excellence Award was created. Its purpose is to recognize members of the Toronto Police Service who have made significant contributions to the Toronto Police Service and the City of Toronto. Each submission is judged on the following criteria: innovation, community service, technical achievement and customer service and reliability.
This year's Police Officer of the Year event will be held at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, 1 First Canadian Place, on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at 6 p.m.
Click here for promotional video for the Award dinner event.
Leading up to the event, we will be presenting the stories of those nominated for the Police Officer of the Year and for the TPS Business Excellence Award.
The Police Officer of the Month for December 2012: Constable Alan Fujino, formerly of 51 Division
On May 29, 1993, police were contacted regarding a missing woman and her 1 1/2-year-old daughter. The mother had left Toronto with the child following a custody dispute. A warrant was issued for Abduction in Contravention of a Custody Order.
The child's disappearance was registered with missing children's agencies in Canada and the United States. Over the course of 18 years, the police, missing children's agencies and the father of the abducted child followed up on tips of possible sightings and information.
In September 2011, a tip was received through the Missing Children Society of Canada indicating that the woman might be living on Vancouver Island under an assumed name. After working with several police agencies and conducting an investigation, Constable Fujino eliminated Persons of Interest with similar names as the one provided via the tip.
In addition to police surveillance on various addresses, Constable Fujino utilized facial recognition software to compare a historical photograph of the suspect with a current drivers license photo of a woman believed to be living under a new name similar to that offered in the tip. The Crowns Office requested that all reasonable efforts be made to absolutely confirm the suspect in British Columbia was the wanted woman.
Through a variety of investigative means, Constable Fujino was able to locate a tissue sample from 1988 suitable for DNA comparison, obtained a warrant to seize the sample for analysis, and requested Victoria Police obtain a discarded DNA sample from the woman for comparison.
During this time, social media was utilized to locate the missing child, who was now attending a University in southern Ontario.
On November 28, 2011, the Centre of Forensic Sciences announced a positive DNA match, confirming the identity of the woman. Constable Fujino coordinated with Victoria Police and, in December 2011, the woman was arrested.
Constable Fujino arranged for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, based in Manitoba, to assist him with the difficult task of notifying the now 20-year-old daughter of her true identity and of the sequence of events that had taken place since 1993.
The woman was eventually returned to Toronto to answer to the charge of Abduction.
A search warrant was executed at the woman's home in Victoria, B.C. and evidence suggests that the woman and her child, under assumed names, initially fled to Vancouver Island, crossed the border into the United States, and lived in at least three different states. They then went to Ireland, where they remained for seven years until returning to Vancouver Island where she was arrested.
Furthermore, several Production Orders were completed by Constable Fujino and served on Ontario government agencies on behalf of B.C. authorities who began to investigate the suspects fraudulent identifications obtained in their province.
In recognition of his superior investigative work and outstanding police skills, Constable Alan Fujino has been selected as Police Officer of the Month for December 2012.