New top cop brings GTA experience to London, Ont.

London’s incoming chief of police has a vision that encompasses community safety.

“You are going to see a different response from this organization,” said Thai Truong, who has been named the 21st chief of police in the department’s 168 year history

In a wide ranging news conference, London's newest top cop addressed everything from mental health calls, to homelessness, crime and gun violence.

"I am familiar with the GTA, and I'm also aware that a lot of the crime that occurs in London is committed by people that don't live in London,” said Truong, while addressing the 10 cases of gunfire in 2023.

“I don't have time or tolerance for violence,” he added. “You'll see that I'm very aggressive with targeting those violent offenders that are coming to London.”

The former commander in the York region and Richmond Hill has 22 years of policing experience. He specialized in human trafficking, drug enforcement, as well as anti-gun and gang violence.

He described how he recently spent an entire day with two homeless individuals east of Adelaide Street to learn more about their challenges.

"I got to see first hand the issues we face here,” said Truong. “I've seen that there are individuals who are exploiting people suffering from homelessness and we need to make sure they are protected.”

With the London Police Services Board (LPSB) former Chief Steve Williams and Interim Chief Trish McIntyre in attendance, LPSB Chair Ali Chahbar called Monday’s announcement “historic.”

Of the applicants from across Canada, the LPSB looked at credentials, vision and leadership when it hired outside its own department for the first time in a quarter century.

"The selection process was detailed, it was intensive and it was lengthy,” said Chahbar.

Thai Truong (Source: London Police Services Board)

For the first time since the force's inception in 1855, they will have the photo of a racially diverse chief on the wall — Truong is a Vietnamese Canadian.

"There is still a great amount of work to ensure that everyone in our community is represented, not just on that wall, but in the corridors of power in this city,” said Chahbar, who called the hire a “reflection of the changing face of our city and police service.”

He added, “I take a measure of pride in the knowledge that a new portrait unlike any of the others have hung on that wall will soon hang proudly.”

London Mayor Josh Morgan, who has gotten to know Truong through the interview process, expressed his excitement on the hire.

“Crime has gone up substantially, and we have a chief who's going to tackle that head on, while at the same time working hand in hand in partnership with the city on our health and homelessness work,” said Morgan.

He added, “Whether it's front level policing and response times all the way up to human trafficking and in the challenge that we have with our geographic position along the highways with hotels down there. He understands those challenges. He has experienced with those in his previous positions and he brings that expertise to London.”

The hiring came as a surprise to some who expected McIntyre to land the job. She applied, and has been the interim chief since Williams retired earlier this year.

Due to the fact the position hasn’t been filled externally since the late 1990s, McIntyre was considered a top candidate.

When asked about the decision to hire externally from the London Police Service, Chahbar said, “We received a whole host of applications, internally, externally — we engaged in a very deliberate process...there was a discussion, debate and ultimately at the end of the day we made the decision that we did. It wasn’t internal versus external, it was about the candidate that we felt was appropriate for this position.”

The swearing in ceremony for the chief designate is expected to take place sometime next month.