2024 OACP Annual Awards
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, along with our partners are pleased to recognize excellence in policing through our Annual Awards. Our awards recognize both individuals and teams who have demonstrated the highest standard of professionalism, commitment, integrity, and accountability to policing and public safety in Ontario.
How to Submit a Nomination
Simply complete the fillable form with the required fields and submit to Larissa Pereira. Following the description of each award, tell us in 500 words or less, why a person, team, or initiative should be awarded. Self-nominations are not accepted. It is the responsibility of the nominator to summarize the nominee's achievements in sufficient detail to document why this individual should be considered, above all others, for this distinguished award. Each nomination must be supported or endorsed by the Chief, Commissioner, or designate.
All Awards are open to:
- Ontario police service member(s) - sworn or civilian
- An Ontario police service team or initiative
OACP Traffic Safety Excellence Award
In Ontario’s policing community, certain individuals clearly stand out as life-long leaders in the field of traffic safety. These visionaries display a tireless dedication and a never-ending devotion to their pursuit of ensuring the public’s safety on our roadways. This commitment is shown throughout their policing career and involves the development of strategic partnerships, championing new solutions, and ensuring effective enforcement and educational activities both within the policing profession and externally throughout their communities.
Every year in Ontario, concerned and motivated police officers implement numerous traffic safety initiatives on behalf of their respective agencies designed with the intent of reducing the incidence of death and serious injury attributed to motor vehicle collisions on the province’s highways. Many of these programs prove to be extremely effective, show great creativity and involve innovative solutions. They also prove to our communities the level of commitment that Ontario’s police services have towards traffic safety concerns.
The “OACP Traffic Safety Excellence Award” will be presented to one currently serving individual, police organization, or initiative who have clearly devoted themselves and their policing efforts to furthering traffic safety in Ontario.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from the CAA South Central Ontario.
OACP/CCN Catherine Martin Award of Excellence in Media Relations
This award recognizes the dedication and commitment of an individual in an Ontario police service who has improved the relationship between media and police.
To be awarded annually by the OACP and the Chair of CCN, The Catherine Martin Award for Excellence in Media Relations will be presented to a sworn or civilian member (or team) who has demonstrated consistent dedication and professionalism in the strategic use of media and/or social media – either individually or as part of a campaign – to educate and showcase the profession of policing in the community, supporting public safety or advancing investigations. The individual or team is valued by their commands as an advisor, recommends strategic positions for police leaders, and produces corresponding messaging in the Province of Ontario.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Hamilton Police Service.
2024 OACP/CCN Catherine Martin Award of Excellence in Media Relations Criteria
OACP Award of Excellence in Community Safety, Wellness, and Crime Prevention
This award is presented in recognition of the accomplishments of police agencies and their community partners working together to improve community safety and well-being. Award winners will demonstrate their commitment to, and understanding of, Ontario’s Mobilization & Engagement Model of Community Policing and will identify how they have collaborated with their community to address an area of concern or situation of elevated risk within the community. The subject project need not be complete, nor does it have to have been initiated with this model. The submission should, however, demonstrate how the project fits within the framework of the model and enhances community safety and well-being.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Accident Support Services International Ltd.
2024 OACP Award of Excellence in Community Safety, Wellness, and Crime Prevention Criteria
OACP Excellence in Leadership Award
This award is presented in recognition of the accomplishments of a member of a police service who consistently demonstrates outstanding engagement and achievement within their organization and their community in terms of leadership.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
OACP Excellence in Information Technology/Services Award
This award is presented in recognition of the accomplishments of police agencies who have used/leveraged technology in the development and introduction of a significant change that proved to be “a game changer” for the organization and/or the policing community.
Award winners must identify the project/initiatives, describe the project and outcomes in detail and clearly demonstrate what is new about the technology used with the project and the impact this project has had to date on the police service.
Awarded annually by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the "Excellence in Information Technology Award" will be presented to the police agency which demonstrate excellence in the implementation/usage of new technology. All Ontario police services and OPP detachments are eligible for this award.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Magnet Forensics.
2024 OACP Excellence in Information Technology/Services Award Criteria
OACP Award of Excellence in the Advancement of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Policing
The OACP Award of Excellence in the Advancement of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Policing honours an individual and/or police service that demonstrates exceptional commitment to achieving/advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within their police organization and/or communit(y)ies. Nominations must demonstrate how the individual or police service implemented innovative programs or initiatives that have made a demonstratable difference in enhancing community trust and police legitimacy and advanced the goal of police organizational cultures based on the concepts of mutual respect, fairness, and inclusivity (during the previous 18 months of the call for nominations). For this award, we use the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion as defined by the CACP Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee:
Equity is fairness; making sure everyone has what they need to succeed and removing barriers that disadvantage some groups over others. This is different than treating people equally, which is behind the concept of “equality.”
Diversity is the range of visible and non-visible qualities, experiences, and identities that shape who we are, how we think, and how we engage with and are perceived by the world. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical or mental disabilities, religious/spiritual beliefs, or political ideologies. They can also include differences such as personality, style, capabilities, thoughts and perspectives.
Inclusion is recognizing, welcoming and making space for diversity. An inclusive organization capitalizes on the diversity of ideas, experiences, skills and talents of all employees.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Accident Support Services International Ltd.
OACP AGCO Award for Outstanding Investigation
Every day, offences related to the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and cannabis retail sectors threaten public safety across Ontario. Often, it is only through the diligence of attending police officers who connect such occurrences to certain individuals and corporations, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions and resulting negative impact on public safety.
Police officers also work closely with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the provincial agency responsible for regulating these sectors through the administration of the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, the Gaming Control Act, 1992, the Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015 and the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018.
The original Award for Outstanding Liquor Enforcement, previously awarded annually by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and sponsored by the AGCO, was paused temporarily. It is being relaunched this year and expanded to include investigative/enforcement work conducted in the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and cannabis retail sectors. The award has been renamed the AGCO Award for Outstanding Investigation. It will be presented to the police agency demonstrating excellence and innovation through their work in one or more of the four sectors. All Police Services and Law Enforcement Agencies conducting investigations in Ontario are eligible for this award.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario