Chief of the Toronto Police Service, Mr. William Blair, arrives in Jamaica on Monday, November 22, 2010 for a four-day visit to the Island. This is the second in a series of planned visits by prominent international Crime Management experts with knowledge of contemporary trends in Policing, being organised by The University of the West Indies, Mona, in collaboration with the Police Service Commission.   The visits are intended to facilitate an interaction between these experts and key persons associated with the transformation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) allowing for an exchange of perspectives, ideas and recommendations on specific elements of the transformation.

During his visit, Mr Blair will participate in a symposium on the Control and Prevention of Transnational Crime. He will also hold discussions with key officials from the Government, Private Sector and Civil Society as well as the leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, to share his perspectives on relevant lessons to be learnt from the Canadian experience.

Mr. Blair will also meet with UWI academics who are engaged in research on policing, crime and criminal justice as well as media leaders for discussions on issues and topics related to policing and crime.

William Blair was appointed Chief of the Toronto Police Service on April 26, 2005. He started his 30-plus years policing career as a beat officer in downtown Toronto, and continued with assignments in drug enforcement, organized crime units, and major criminal investigations. Promoted to the senior ranks of the Service, his postings included Divisional Commander, Community Policing Programs, and Detective Operations, responsible for all specialized investigative units.

Chief of Police Blair holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Toronto with dual disciplines of Economics and Criminology (1981), a Certificate in Law Enforcement Administration from the University of Toronto (1983) and a Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia (1990). He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (1990), the Police Leadership Program of the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Business Management (2002) and the National Executive Institute (2006).

Chief Blair is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and has previously served as the President of the OACP. He is a member of the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario (CISO) Governing Body Executive and a member of the Executive Committee for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU).

Mr Blair is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), currently serving as President.  He has previously served as Co-Chair of the CACP Counter-Terrorism and National Security Committee and the Organized Crime Committee. He is a member of the National Coordinating Committee for Organized Crime and of the Executive Committee for Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC).  He is also a Member At Large on the Board of Directors of the Police Executive Research Foundation (PERF).  Mr Blair  was recently appointed as the Chair of the Public Safety Emergency Preparedness Canada Audit Committee. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and serves as the Canadian Director on the Board of the Major City Chiefs Association (MCC).