Neighbourhood Community Officer Program (NCOP)
Studying Community Policing in Practice
A multi-year research collaboration examining how community policing operates across institutional and community settings.
The Neighbourhood Community Officer Program (NCOP) is a community policing initiative developed by the Toronto Police Service, focused on building relationships, trust, and engagement within local communities.
Program Overview
This research program examines how this model operates in practice, with attention to officer roles, community interactions, and the institutional conditions that shape community policing.
Project Leadership
Community policing is studied through collaborative, practice-based research.
Developed through long-term collaboration across research and practice communities.
Principal Investigator | Homicide and Policing Research
Doug Thomson, D.Phil
Doug Thomson is a senior professor in the Criminal Justice program at Humber Polytechnic and Principal Investigator of the NCOP Research Program. His research focuses on criminology, applied research, and community safety, with a longstanding commitment to community policing.
Emma Smith, PhD
Co-Investigator | Cultural Criminologist
Emma Smith is a cultural criminologist and research consultant with a PhD in Communication and Culture. Her work examines community policing, media representations of crime, and the institutional dynamics shaping relationships between police and communities.
Focused on how community policing is practiced and experienced across communities, organizations, and institutions.
Research Themes
Community & Relationships
01.
Community engagement and relationships
Trust, transparency, and public perception
Policing in Practice
02.
Officer roles, visibility, and everyday practice
Systems & Coordination
03.
Inter-organization collaboration and coordination
Program design, implementation, and evaluation
2023 President’s Award for Research Excellence
Research in Practice
Research that moves across institutions, shaping practice, policy, and public conversation.
Presentation at the inaugural Police Science conference (Australia & New Zealand), contributing to discussions on evidence-based policing, legitimacy, and leadership in practice.
Invited presentation at the Building Bridges Evidence-Based Policing Conference (2025), presenting ongoing research on the evolution, strengths, and challenges of the NCOP.
Presentation at the inaugural Police Science conference (Australia & New Zealand), contributing to discussions on evidence-based policing, legitimacy, and leadership in practice.
Selected Work & Contributions
Selected reports and presentations across community policing.
Evaluation Report
Evaluation of key enhancements to the Neighbourhood Officer Program, including supervision, training, and community engagement.
Independent Review
Featured in the Honourable Gloria J. Epstein’s Independent Civilian Review as an example of community-engaged policing.
Program Evaluation
Three-year evaluation highlighting program effectiveness and opportunities for strengthening neighbourhood policing.