William_J._McCormack

William J. McCormack

William J. McCormack

Canadian police officer

For other people named William McCormack, see William McCormack (disambiguation).

William Joseph McCormack (21 February 1933 – 8 September 2016) was Chief of Police of the Metro Toronto Police from 1989 to 1995. He succeeded Jack Marks. Earlier in his life McCormack was a marine radio operator and British colonial police officer before coming to Canada in the late 1950s.

Quick Facts Chief of the Metropolitan Toronto Police, Preceded by ...

Life and career

McCormack was born in Beau-Bassin, Mauritius, then went on to graduate from Atlantic College in Dublin in 1951.[1] McCormack went to sea and as a civilian employee of the Marconi International Marine Communication Limited aboard British Merchant Navy ships where he served as a radio officer on several ships.[1]

He was the son of British Colonial Police colonel William McCormack who was decorated with an MBE by the King for his work with prison reform and children's polio.[1]

The younger McCormack served as a Constable in Bermuda Police Force from 1955 to 1959[1] before coming to Canada and joining the Metropolitan Toronto Police. Before becoming chief of police, he spent a number of years as a homicide detective in Toronto. Following his retirement, he detailed his experiences and some of his notable cases in a co-authored book.[2]

He had five children, four of whom later became police officers. Michael is the former president of the Toronto Police Association, leaving that position in 2020.,[3] Kathy is an OPP sergeant, and Jamie is a Toronto police detective. A son also named William resigned from his post as a plainclothes Toronto police officer in 2009 following an internal misconduct investigation;[4] criminal charges for soliciting and accepting bribes in that regard were subsequently stayed for 6 years of excessive delays by Crown prosecution, with the judge laying blame on the lead police investigator.[5][6]

In 2007, he joined other former Toronto chiefs, including David Boothby, Jack Marks and Julian Fantino at a 50th anniversary celebration of the Toronto Police Service at the headquarters building.[7][8] McCormack died on 8 September 2016 at the age of 83.[9][10]

Awards

References

  1. [1]
    "William J. "Bill" McCormack". Bermuda Ex Police Association. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015.
  2. [2]
    McCormack, William (2005). Life on Homicide: A Police Detective's Memoir. Bob Cooper. White Knight Publications. ISBN 978-0-9734186-0-6.
  3. [3]
    "Toronto Police Association - Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  4. [4]
    "Corruption probe: The cops". Toronto Star. 8 December 2009. Archived from the original on 21 July 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  5. [5]
    "Charges against police officers stayed". Toronto Star. 7 December 2009. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  6. [6]
    "Wiretaps in Toronto police corruption case released". CBC News. 8 December 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  7. [7]
    Toronto Police Service (27 February 2009). "Toronto Police Service - Inside the TPS". Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  8. [8]
    Toronto Police Service (16 January 2007). "Toronto Police Service - History comes alive at police headquarters". Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  9. [9]
    D'Amore, Rachael; Herhalt, Chris (8 September 2016). "Former Toronto police chief Bill McCormack dies". CP24.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  10. [10]
    "William J. McCormack; February 21, 1933 – September 8, 2016". Dignitymemorial.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
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