Biography on CHIEF WALTER JOHNSON of the LONDON ONTARIO POLICE - Essay Example

Police Chief Walter Johnson Walter T. Johnson was appointed Chief of Police of London, Ontario in 1971. During his time of service, Chief Johnson accomplished a great deal. Chief Johnson had new an innovative ideas, from forming a canine unit to implementing the first 911 system in Canada. During his stint as Police Chief, Walter Johnson made London, Ontario safer for its citizens. One of the most notable occurrences during the time Walter Johnson was Chief of Police in London, Ontario, is the creation of the 911 Emergency Centre (History Timeline, N.D.).

On 6 October 1974, London, Ontario became the first town in Canada to implement a 911 Centre. With the help of Bell Canada, a futuristic 911 system was created. It was not as sophisticated as todays 911, with the 911 operator knowing which address a call is coming from, but it was new then. A 911 system allowed people from London to call 911 for police or emergency assistance. Also in 1974, personal police radios were put into regular operation as part of the new Personal Radio Equipped Police System.

Other technological advances were put into place. Computers were used to keep track of Record Entry and Retrieval System for more efficient management of records in 1975 (London Police Department, 2004). In 1980, a Systems Analysis and Programming Unit formed. Chief Johnson was not afraid of technology, using any means possible to capture criminals. Chief Johnson not only helped the citizens of London, Ontario when in office, but contributed to the community after leaving the Police of Chiefs post.

For example, retired Inspector John Robinson and former Chief Walter Johnson helped draft a historical change in the response of Londons Criminal Justice System to wife battering. In May 1981, London became the first police force in Canada to institute a policy that instructed officers to lay charges of assault in wife abuse cases, regardless of the wishes of the parties involved, whenever there existed reasonable and probable grounds to believe an assault had taken place (London Police Department, 2004).

The implementation of this mandate placed the onus on the police rather than the victim to pursue justice in cases of wife assault. City police also began to give out victim information cards to all victims of wife assault at the time of police intervention. These cards contain occurrence information including the officers names and number and the plan of action, as well as a listing of community support services available. Former Chief Johnson, like most beat patrolmen, understood that wives and husbands loved each other and wanted to protect each other.

This measure was in result of frustrating domestic calls, where a woman was too in love or too afraid to press charges. Police Chief Johnson also created the London Police Services Board Awards Fund at the University of Western Ontario. This fund originated in 1978 with revenue Chief Johnson received for teaching Journalism at U.W.O. (London Police Department, 2004). Through his continued donations for many years, together with additional investment by the London Police Association and the Board from sundry revenues, and from a matched donation from the Provincial Government in 1996, this fund has grown to approximately $100,000.

The fund is managed by U.W.O., and the interest only is used to support family members of LPS police and civilian employees who attend U.W.O. on a full time basis (London Police Department, 2004). Police Chief Johnson went above and beyond his duty as a police officer or Chief of Police. The achievements that he accomplished in office did not stop after retiring from the London, Ontario police department. Chief Johnson embodied what a police officer should be, not only a crime fighter, but a true civil servant that wished to help his community.

If more police officers had these ethics, communities would have invaluable assets.ReferencesHistorical Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2007 from http://www.itu.int/newsarchive/wtsa2000/english/media/timeline.pdfLondon Police Service. (2004). History. Retrieved October 7, 2007 from http://www.police.london.ca/AboutLPS/19711991.htmLondon Police Service. (2004). Minutes of the public meeting of the London Police service board. Retrieved October 7, 2007 from http://police.london.

ca/AboutLPS/PDFs/LPSB2004Minutes/LPSBMinutesDec2004.pdf