The Toronto Police Service’s most recent group of newly graduated police constables is almost half made up of women and more than one third of the officers identify as visible minorities.
Officials say 48 per cent of the graduating class are women, the highest-ever percentage for a new cohort of Toronto police officers, and 34 per cent are visible minorities.
The police service has made a concerted effort to increase the number of women and members of visible minority groups it hires in recent years, citing the disparity between the demographic makeup of Toronto and the relative homogeneity of the police service in comparison.
In 2012, 30 per cent of officers were female, and 21 per cent were members of a visible minority group.
Police say 31 of the new graduates speak another language in addition to English, and a third of those speak two or more other languages in addition to English.
Languages spoken by the recruits include German, Greek, Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Mandarin, Filipino, Polish, Japanese, Spanish, Thai, Twi and Afrikaans.
More than 90 per cent of the new officers have completed post-secondary education and 41 per cent have previous policing or military experience.
The 44 recruits will be sworn in as fourth class constables at a ceremony expected to take place at the Toronto Police College in south Etobicoke on Thursday at noon.
Police Services Board member Dhun Noria and Toronto Police Acting Chief Mike Federico are expected to attend the ceremony.
