John Chisholm (police chief)
Encyclopedia
John C. Chisholm was the first Chief Constable
of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force until he committed suicide.
Chisholm's father was a lay preacher in Dundee
City Prison when John was growing up, giving him an interest in criminology
.
He served in World War I
with the artillery in Mesopotamia
(modern Iraq
) and, after the war, decided to enter policing. After finding no openings with the Hong Kong Police, he came to Canada where he joined the Toronto Police Department in 1920 he became an acting detective in three years, skipped a rank, to become detective sergeant in 1930 and went on to become the youngest inspector and then youngest deputy chief in the department's history in 1945 before becoming chief constable on the City of Toronto Police Department in January 1946.
Chisholm was found dead in his automobile in High Park having killed himself by a single shotgun wound to the head. He had been suffering from ill health since the previous Christmas - Police Commission Chairman C. O. Bick told the Daily Star that his "neves" were bad, and had been rumoured for several weeks to be considering submitting his resignation. He had also been in severe pain for several months since suffering a fall.
The Metropolitan Toronto Police Force had been created in 1957 by the merger of 13 police forces with Chisholm, who had led the Toronto Police Force since 1946, was put in charge of the new, much larger, organization.
Chisholm had often clashed with Bick, the first chairman of the new Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission
, particularly over questions of authority. Bick asserted that "under the Police Act, the control of the police department is in the hands of the commission,“ not the chief. Chisolm was unable to cope with the strain of managing the merging of thirteen separate police departments and this is thought to have led to his suicide.
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force until he committed suicide.
Chisholm's father was a lay preacher in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
City Prison when John was growing up, giving him an interest in criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
.
He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with the artillery in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
(modern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) and, after the war, decided to enter policing. After finding no openings with the Hong Kong Police, he came to Canada where he joined the Toronto Police Department in 1920 he became an acting detective in three years, skipped a rank, to become detective sergeant in 1930 and went on to become the youngest inspector and then youngest deputy chief in the department's history in 1945 before becoming chief constable on the City of Toronto Police Department in January 1946.
Chisholm was found dead in his automobile in High Park having killed himself by a single shotgun wound to the head. He had been suffering from ill health since the previous Christmas - Police Commission Chairman C. O. Bick told the Daily Star that his "neves" were bad, and had been rumoured for several weeks to be considering submitting his resignation. He had also been in severe pain for several months since suffering a fall.
The Metropolitan Toronto Police Force had been created in 1957 by the merger of 13 police forces with Chisholm, who had led the Toronto Police Force since 1946, was put in charge of the new, much larger, organization.
Chisholm had often clashed with Bick, the first chairman of the new Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission
Toronto Police Services Board
The Toronto Police Services Board is the civilian oversight of the Toronto Police Service. It was called the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board from 1990 until 1998 and the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission from 1955 until 1990 when the name of the body was changed as a result of...
, particularly over questions of authority. Bick asserted that "under the Police Act, the control of the police department is in the hands of the commission,“ not the chief. Chisolm was unable to cope with the strain of managing the merging of thirteen separate police departments and this is thought to have led to his suicide.