Our People

In 2023, Lauren Jackson was hired and was sworn in as our Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). This civilian position, equivalent to a Deputy Chief, plays an integral role within our Executive Team. CAO Jackson comes with vast experience working with policing, fire, paramedic, justice and security agencies at all three levels of government within Canada and internationally. She is also an active participant in her community and has held volunteer roles within health care and social services agencies. Her wealth of knowledge will greatly benefit Peel Regional Police and our community.

CAO Jackson has extensive experience in providing guidance, direction and purposeful leadership in managing complex operational and administrative change initiatives. She, alongside Deputy Chiefs Andrews, Dapat, Milinovich and Odoardi, will provide strategic leadership, direction and oversight for the general business, administration and support functions across our organization. The CAO will specifically oversee Corporate Support Services, comprised of Finance and Planning, Materials Management and Human Resources.

“[The new CAO] brings 14 years of demonstrated expertise in providing guidance, direction and purposeful leadership in managing complex operational and administrative change initiatives across both public and private sectors.”

~Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Peel Regional Police

A project team was assigned to transform the promotional process of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) (Sergeant/Detective and Staff Detective/Sergeant ranks) in response to member feedback received through various channels, including an employee survey, focus groups and Coffee with the Chief events.  

The project team engaged with senior leadership to gather their input to ensure the revamped process aligned with organizational goals. The fundamental objective of the 2023 NCO Promotional Process was to promote qualified candidates who possess the knowledge, work experience, skills, abilities and competencies required to succeed in a leadership role.

The goals and objectives of the revamped promotional process are:

• Fair and balanced – equally accessible to all members and contributing to organizational stability
• Work-Life balance – supports balance for the membership
• Transparent – provide honest and open feedback throughout every stage in the process
• Streamlined – minimize the time and resources required in the hiring process
• Merit-based – a system that emphasizes leadership competence and character
• Culture – promoting leaders that reflect the aspirational vision and culture of the organization

In 2023 there were 38 officers promoted to the rank of Sergeant/Detective and eight officers promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant/Detective Sergeant. This is a 53% increase over 2022. An annual process review will occur to ensure the process is continually evolving to best meet the needs of our members.

In response to the needs expressed through the 2023 Employee Engagement Survey, the Leadership Development Program (LDP) was developed for our members. Regardless of rank or position, this voluntary program is available to all members throughout their career, at every level of the organization and is designed to provide our members with the tools needed for self-development, to help achieve both career goals and growth as leaders.

The LDP is specifically tailored to the individual, offering a diverse set of opportunities appropriately paced based on the goals identified and set by the program participant. The vision behind this program is to strengthen the quality, experience and expertise already present within the membership of Peel Regional Police. The model of leadership focuses on individual competency-based learning and team-based approaches, encouraging the participant towards a common organizational direction.

The flexibility of the LDP allows members to adjust their goals throughout the program. It also provides the opportunity for the Leadership Development Office to explore recommendations to improve on what works and discontinue what does not. There were 150 members who completed the initial assessment for the Leadership Development Program in 2023.

Peel Regional Police conducted an Employee Pulse Survey through a third-party, inviting input from members to ensure all employee voices were heard and acknowledged. Members willingly shared their expertise, perspectives and experiences to help determine where we need to focus our attention to continuously improve. The information gathered will direct our path forward to make meaningful and effective changes within our organization.

Of those who responded to the Employee Pulse Survey, close to 80 per cent of our members indicated they intend to remain working with Peel Regional Police within a year’s time and 80 per cent intend to be employed by Peel Regional Police five years from now. Sixty-four per cent feel listened to and understood by their immediate supervisor.

We will continue to establish initiatives that enhance our organization and commit to providing a forum for members to provide feedback that outlines opportunities for improvement. 

The Expect Respect Campaign is a component of Peel Regional Police’s Respectful Workplace Program. When members feel respected, they feel psychologically safe and are more likely to be forward-thinking and make good decisions. Expect Respect is a reminder that we are not alone, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to maintain a safe work environment, by showing patience, understanding and choosing to be kind to one another.

As a natural extension of the Expect Respect Campaign, Peel Regional Police’s Human Resources Bureau hosted a very successful Respectful Workplace Symposium for our members. The guest speaker covered topics including understanding the dynamics of a psychologically safe workplace, identifying disrespectful and bullying behaviour and when and how to resolve a matter on your own or when to involve others. Members also learned ways to build trust with others, as well as how to approach people efficiently to avoid disputes and how to conduct and manage oneself through conflict. We encourage our members to be champions and to model the lessons learned to further the purpose of Expect Respect in our workplace. 

Peel Regional Police’s Chief’s Ceremonial Guard, known as the Honour Guard, represents our organization by upholding its honour and traditions. In preparation for our 50th anniversary celebration in 2024, the Honour Guard initiated the formation of a Historical Society. Their responsibility is to research and explore our history, becoming experts and promoters of Peel Regional Police’s history.

This is a volunteer driven initiative with participation from members from all areas of the organization, including retirees. This year, the volunteers met to discuss the history of Peel Regional Police and identified areas that need to be further researched.

The Historical Society will assist in the upkeep and expansion of the Peel Regional Police museum at Corporate Headquarters, the museum trailer as well as conduct presentations to members of Peel Regional Police.

If members of the public have items to share, please contact: historicalsociety@peelpolice.ca

In 2023, Peel Regional Police was awarded the Silver Level Certification in the Healthy Workplace Standard category by Excellence Canada, highlighting Peel Regional Police’s work towards fostering a healthy workplace, culture and environment.

The following programs and initiatives implemented across Peel Regional Police received recognition: 

• Mandatory Expect Respect Program
• Peer Support Program
• Early Intervention Software Program
• Reintegration Program (return to work)
• Annual Wellness Check-Ins
• Internal Support Networks (ISNs)
• Technology and mobile apps, including PeerOnCall, Wellness App and Project Shield
• Psychological support funding available for employees and family members

The Healthy Workplace Standard and Process, developed by Excellence Canada, assesses organizational wellness focused on leadership, people engagement, planning and programs and process and risk management. The pathway to certification involved meeting and exceeding rigorous standards. This is a substantial achievement for Peel Regional Police, demonstrating the hard work, dedication and collaboration displayed by our members daily. 

The Wellness Check-In Program was designed by Peel Regional Police’s Wellness Bureau to support the mental health and well-being of our members who are currently assigned to ‘at risk’ bureaus. The program provides confidential appointments with one of four psychologists contracted to Peel Regional Police that are governed by the Ontario College of Psychologists. These visits allow both sworn and civilian members the opportunity to discuss what is important to them without the use of psychometric assessments. While the majority of visits have been online, our Wellness Bureau has implemented a hybrid model that offers both in-person and virtual appointments to allow members to get the most benefit from their visit. 

Peel Regional Police is the first police service in Canada to be given access to the peer support app, PeerOnCall. It was designed by experts at McMaster University and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment with support from Boots on the Ground, an Ontario-based peer support helpline for first responders, that is run by first responders. This app will eventually be rolled out to all public safety personnel across Canada.

Members in need of peer support can connect to Peer Support Team Members through this secure app, with anonymous text messaging capability and a voice chat platform. As standard procedure, all information is private and confidential. This app delivers relevant content that supports mental health, including videos, coping tips, educational resources, a personal wellness tool box, access to self-screening tools, the ability to schedule follow-ups and links to crisis support.

The PeerOnCall app is available to all PRP members.

Peel Regional Police initiated a reintegration program that is a member-driven and wellness-focused return to work program. Our Wellness Bureau trained an internal group of members as Reintegration Facilitators in trauma and evidence-informed approaches, and have since played a key role in increasing the number of individually tailored plans aimed at returning members to work in the healthiest way possible.

• The Short-Term Reintegration Program connects with members shortly after critical incidents, such as an officer-involved shooting.
• The Long-Term Reintegration Program supports officers recovering from operational stress injuries that may or may not be physical in nature.

This member-led program connects the individual to a peer with a similar lived experience and specific training to support the process. In 2023, 12 of our members participated in the Reintegration Program. This collaborative initiative includes the expertise of individuals from Wellness, the Training Bureau, Human Resources, the Peel Regional Police Association and Divisional Command. There has been increasing interest in this program throughout Peel Regional Police, indicating wide spread support for this new initiative.