Toronto Police Service recognized for contributions to school safety

TORONTO, Dec. 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Ensuring the safety of our children on our roads is an important role shared by traffic safety advocates, police partners and community leaders.

Each year for the past 17 years, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has recognized one police service which stands out for its valuable contributions to keeping elementary school students safe.

This year's recipient of CAA's School Safety Patrol Program Achievement Award is Toronto Police Service. The annual award is given to a police service which lends exceptional support to the CAA School Safety Patrol (SSP) program.

Today, Police Chief William Blair and Constable Jill Miller are being honoured with the prestigious award at Toronto Police Headquarters.

"The safety of our young people is one of our highest priorities. I'm pleased that the great work of Constable Jill Miller is being recognized today and I want to thank CAA South Central Ontario for their vital support over the years," said Chief Blair.

Constable Jill Miller has served with Toronto Police for 27 years. For the last 10 years, Constable Miller has managed the CAA School Safety Patrol program.

"Constable Jill Miller is a dedicated police officer with a passion for mentoring young people in the community. Miller is a true leader, an exceptional role model and her unselfish work demonstrates her strong commitment to the safety of school children," said Leslie Rocha, Community Relations Specialist, CAA SCO.

Constable Miller has been integral in growing the CAA School Safety Patrol program in Toronto. She sits on the program's working group and has been involved in the development of the new curriculum and training video.

This past year, Constable Miller helped recruit 16 new schools to the program and increased the bus patrol program participation from 203 patrollers last year to 477 patrollers this year.

Over 90 elementary schools in Toronto currently partner with CAA SCO and Toronto Police Service to run the SSP program.

Meanwhile, over 800 schools in Ontario participate in the School Safety Patrol program and CAA SCO partners with over 55 police services to deliver the program.

As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of more than 1.9 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

SOURCE: CAA South Central Ontario

For further information: Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Consultant, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone] or Jeff LeMoine, Communications Consultant, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone].