Toronto Police Weigh Removing Name Tags Amid Safety Concerns
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The TPS is reviewing its identification policy following a similar move by the RCMP, sparking warnings from experts about a loss of public accountability.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is currently reviewing its policy requiring officers to wear name tags, as CBC Toronto first reported, citing concerns over officer privacy and safety. According to the outlet, TPS spokesperson Stephanie Sayer stated the force is examining the policy due to the increasing risk of officers and their families being targeted and identified online.
The review follows a recent decision by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to stop requiring name tags for on-duty officers. As reported by The Globe and Mail, RCMP officers are now permitted to use regimental numbers instead of names to combat doxxing.
While the TPS is evaluating the change, Bridget Cherry, senior advisor to the Toronto Police Service Board, told CBC Toronto that no formal policy changes have been presented to the board yet. If proposed, any changes would undergo a public process, including public meeting agendas and community deputations.
Critics argue that removing name tags—a requirement in place since 2006—would undermine police accountability. University of Toronto criminology professor Patrick Watson told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that the danger of anonymity was evident during the 2010 G20 summit protests, where 90 TPS officers removed their name tags. Watson noted that this led to significant difficulties in identifying officers, leaving many incidents under-investigated.
Murray Klippenstein, a lawyer who led a class-action lawsuit for approximately 1,100 people arrested during the G20 summit, described the potential removal of name tags as a "significant retreat." Klippenstein told CBC Toronto that name tags serve as a constant reassurance of answerability and humanize the interaction for both the public and the police.
Other regional forces, including those in Halton, York, and Peel, informed CBC News that they currently have no plans to reconsider their name tag requirements.