Myron Demkiw

Demkiw was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Ukrainian parents.[2] He attended St. Michael’s College School, graduating in 1985, before completing a bachelor’s degree in political science and criminology at the University of Toronto in 1989.[3] In 2019, he returned to the University of Toronto, completing the Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) program in 2020.[3] He is also a graduate of the Police Leadership Program with Rotman School of Management.[3][4]

Demkiw joined the Metro Toronto Police in 1990, the year after he completed his bachelor's degree.[3]

Five years into his career in 1995, Demkiw was nearly killed while working in plain clothes by a man who attempted to shoot him with a handgun.[3]

In 2000, he participated in a raid of a lesbian bathhouse, resulting in six Liquor Licence Act charges, which were later dismissed when a court ruled the initial raid unreasonable two years later.[3] Councillor Kyle Rae accused TPS of trying to ogle naked women, and was sued by Demkiw and six fellow officers for defamation.[5] Rae was ordered to pay the officers $170,000.[6][3] As part of a human rights settlement from that raid in 2004, the Toronto Police Service enhanced efforts to recruit gay officers, adopt a gender-sensitive policy and paid $350,000 to the complainants.[3]

Demkiw became an inspector in 2011, before being promoted to superintendent five years later and staff superintendent in 2018.[7] He held a number of management roles including duty senior officer, unit commander of Intelligence Services, leading Detective Operations, heading Corporate Risk Management, and as second in command of 32 Division.[3][4] In the wake of the Bruce McArthur serial homicides case, he oversaw the creation of the Missing Persons Unit.[8][3]

In 2020, he became acting deputy chief of specialized operations command, where he would oversee Public Safety Operations and Detective Operations.[3]