David Boothby

David Boothby
David Boothby
Chief of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Service
In office
1995–1998
Preceded by William J. McCormack
Succeeded by Position Abolished
Chief of the Toronto Police Service
In office
1998–2000
Preceded by Position Created
Succeeded by Julian Fantino
Personal details
Born 1944
Keswick, Ontario
Nationality Canadian
Residence Toronto 
           Chief David John Boothby, is the last Chief of police
of the Metro Toronto Police 1995-1997. Chief
Boothby has the unique distinction of being the first Chief chosen of the
newly crested Toronto Police Service.

Boothby was at the helm of the Toronto Police Service during the rise of Craig Bromell, who served as the police union's influential and powerful leader. Under Bromell's leadership, members of Boothby's administration were under constant pressure and scrutiny by union leadership.

Chief Boothby's social policies and political philosophies were not as hard line or stringent as some past chiefs of police, which resulted in his being embraced by some factions as a "reformer", while disrespected by others as being "too soft".

     Chief David John Boothby, is the last Chief of police
of the Metro Toronto Police 1995-1997. Chief
Boothby has the unique distinction of being the first Chief chosen of the
newly crested Toronto Police Service.  With Chief JDB at the helm, from
1999, onwards, Canadas largest local police force was able to usher in the
turn of the century with under the directorship of a man whose nimble
methodology and policing philosophy, flourished an operationally

stealthy cadre of markedly motivated officers who respectfully deferred

to Boothby's remarkable, balanced, and benign leadership style.  

            Chief Boothby's humble beginnings flourished an

inspirational family policing legacy, of whoms seeds were rooted in the small town of his birth [Keswick, Ontario]]. Chief Boothby

graced the then Metro Toronto Police in 1964 with his particular

style as a beat officer renown for being adept and well liked. In his tenure, he was then promoted to homicide detective in

1978, solving many high profile cases and forging a reputation for

being a trailblazer in the policing sciences with an uncanny intuition.

            Boothby's rise to the top post in Toronto Police was seen
as a change from the management style of his predecessor William J.
McCormack.  Boothby is widely viewed in the Toronto Police Service

as a very popular hands-off leader who let officers do their job and

his skill effected the restoration of trust of many officers who

experienced mutinous times past. Chief D. J. Boothby won widespread

acceptance of much of the changes so necessary to the forces long

term viability, earning him kudoos from the common man to the Mayor

himself Mel Lastman, who coined a much agreed upon public sentiment
in his expression that  "the city of Toronto has never been safer

then under Boothby."

            David John Boothby was known to be a man of decisive
and time sensitive execution.  He had an incisive ability to
generaste staff solutions in a time sensitive manner and do
that well.  Notably, Chief Boothby has the unparalleled

distinction (due to his gracious and benevolent generosity),

of being the only Chief of Police in the history of Canadian
Police Executive Command Posts to build a house of worship in

Police Headquarters from his own pocket. Chief Boothby's

generous church contribution in building a recluse of peace
in the heart of Toronto Police shares deep parallels with
his term in which he restored faith and balance in the
forces relevance in the hearts and minds of thousands
of officers who viewed him as a beacon of change from
the pre-Boothby shisms and divisions he inherited.  

          Chief Boothby's munificsent selflesness brought
many in his audience to tears upon the night of his

shocking announcement of his decision to retire, much to the chagrin of his charge. His remarkable and endearing

selflessnes and humility that night (despite all he had
achieved for Toronto and his widespread acclaim) can be
encapsulates in his parting phrase "I came from a small
town and was lucky just to be able to walk the beat.

This job owns me nothing." David John Boothby is a cops cop.

           Chief Boothby is a man known to be graced with
superb judgement and vision.  David John Boothby, the
father of Staff Sargeant John David Boothby will be
hallmarked and canonized in Canadian Police history
as cultivating and effecting the beginnings of Julian

Fantinos rise to what is seen in policing circles as the most powerful coup to power ever achieved for Officers of the Law in Canada, a Ministerial position in Ottawa. Boothby's wise choices in his term as

Chief up until his departure continue to impact
Toronto Police to date in a resoundingly inspirational
manner, making TPS an operational model whose
architecture is emulated cross-continentally. 

His execution of efficate policing methodologies

and rigours illuminate Toronto Police to this day, inspiring the generation of Officers under his charge as to what can be achieved under the directorship and emulation of the principles

of such a munifiscent Chief who has the

breadth of vision to blaze a legacy of policing

excellence impacting locally and federally with

Toronto Police at the highest cusp of its specialization.

Chief Boothby's abrupt retirement led the way for Julian Fantino (then the Chief of the York Regional Police) to attain the helm of the Toronto Police Service.

Since 2000, Boothby has been involved in various charities and local associations:

  • member of the Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows Board of Directors
  • Consultant, Giesecke & Devrient Card Security
  • Task Force Member for the Ministry of Public Safety and Security Task Force on Reform and Correctional Services
  • Chair of Jake's House for Children with Autism Board of Directors
  • President of the West Side Pine Lake Cottagers Association
  • Patriarch of a proud policing tradition in his family.

References

v · d · eToronto Chiefs of Police
Chisholm · Mackey · Adamson · Ackroyd · Marks · McCormack · Boothby · Fantino · Boyd · Blair


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