It’s people before process at York Regional Police

When Jim MacSween became chief of York Regional Police in 2020, the GTA’s third-largest police service was already moving to change its workplace culture. MacSween has remained deeply engaged in accelerating that evolution.

“We were amid this big project around culture – we still are, actually – and we have substantially moved the needle in terms of reflecting the community we serve. We’ve increased diversity in members from the 20 per cent we were at when I took over, to almost 25 per cent of a police service that collectively speaks 65 languages,” says MacSween.

Policing has changed a lot – as has York Region itself, home to more than 200 ethnic groups – in the 34 years since he joined YRP as a rookie, MacSween says. “My first question as chief was, how do we move to being a people-first organization? We need to show our people we think of them before rules and process, make sure they understand that we have care, empathy and compassion for them first. So, we flattened a lot of decision-making and from that developed a new professionalism, leadership and inclusion office that reports directly to the chief's office.

“With a people-first culture, we improved member commitment and workplace satisfaction, and our members serve the needs of the community at a much higher level.”

In the nine years since she joined YRP, detective constable Alethia Legall-Gabriel has seen its culture evolve. “I’m a Black female, and I came in a little bit skeptical, but I’ve seen us hire to reflect what we want the organization to be about,” says Legall-Gabriel. That positive change has accelerated in recent years, she adds, under Chief MacSween.

“We started ‘Project Breakthrough’ just before COVID-19. Our aim was for everyone to feel included, accepted and valued,” Legall-Gabriel says. “Our voices and recommendations led to the new inclusion office, and I think they’re doing a really good job. Slow and steady wins the race. I don’t think we’re going to see immediate major change tomorrow, but we’re going to see change.”

Greater respect for diversity and inclusion has been matched by greater concern for employee wellness, says MacSween. “Ours is one of the few police services in Canada to have two licensed clinical psychologists and four mental health clinicians on staff to provide members with rapid access to consultation services,” says MacSween. “Previously, members had to come to one central location to speak to a psychologist or a clinician. But by 2022 we’d placed a lot of those resources out in our district offices, which allowed for trust building, and we have seen a substantial uptick in accessing those services.”

The YRP’s evolving culture and its readiness to act upon its values became clear to Legall-Gabriel in the days following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. “I was having a rough time and so were a lot of people. White officers felt like they couldn’t police at all, Black officers felt like they were wearing two different uniforms, their skin and the uniform.

“And our superintendent got all the Black members together, just to ask us how we were doing, what can we do, what can they do for us, what can we all do for each other? That really stands out for me. I love it here.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Greater Toronto’s Top Employers winners, published December 5, 2023 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

York Regional Police builds a culture of learning

For York Regional Police (YRP) purchasing clerk Jathusana Chandra, 26, two terms as a summer student, a stint of parttime work and four years of fulltime employment with the service still don’t mean she’s finished onboarding in any real sense. And as someone who wants to learn in a workplace she believes is dedicated to teaching – formally and informally – Chandra thinks she is very well placed.

“There are just so many opportunities here,” Chandra says. “With the job shadowing and mentoring, you can experience many different roles you might not have thought of for yourself.” From the start, YRP members were happy to help. “Even when I was a summer student, everyone was so willing to share their knowledge and support,” says Chandra. “It’s actually the culture of the place, and I could see myself growing and working here a long time.”

In the mentorship program, Chandra was linked with a detective constable. “That was a really cool experience,” says Chandra, “because, as a civilian, I don’t really see the operational side of things. You may not think a civilian and a uniformed officer would have much to say to each other, but I got to see her perspective on her job. And we talked about how we approach situations in a way that really broadened my outlook.”

That’s the kind of workplace YRP has been striving for, says deputy chief, administration, Cecile Hammond, whose responsibilities include recruitment and retention. “We have created an environment that attracts people,” Hammond says, “by taking a lot of steps to put them first.” Those include measures to improve work-life balance, from flexible shift hours to job-sharing, and a robust emphasis on members’ physical and mental wellness.

YRP has staff psychologists, a social worker who works with families – “because a lot of our members understandably take their jobs home,” says Hammond – as well as physiotherapists and massage therapists that members can access 24/7 through the service’s wellness resources app. “The changes in recent years are astronomical, especially for someone like me coming from a generation where we were taught what happens is just the job – you suck it up, you deal with it,” says Hammond, a 25-year veteran. “Now we recognize that’s not the way to go.”

Generational transition was a key impetus for change, says Hammond. “We are very much alive to the fact that youth today seek more input into shaping their future, and their expectations demand more of us as an organization.” There are now more ways into YRP – the summer student program has doubled in size – and, once inside, more ways to explore the wide-ranging possibilities of a police career, through mentorship, job shadowing, student cadets and financial support for continuing higher education.

“We need to ensure that young people feel included, trusted and heard,” Hammond says. “An inclusive workplace means our members will serve the needs of the community at a higher level, that they’ll pay it forward.”

Chandra agrees. After she learned that YRP’s IT director had a math degree, “I have a BA in math, so I sent her an email to ask if she had time to discuss my career and how she came to her position,” says Chandra. “I was a bit nervous doing that, but she was so gracious and helpful in talking about her career and where mine might go. It was a very big deal for me, seeing people in positions like hers willing to share their experiences. It made me think that when I reach a point like this in my career, that’s what I will do.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 23, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.