Elevated status for Toronto’s corporate security department

For a number of years, corporate security only had a manager for its security — a position which Nichol held for 14 years. Josie Scioli, the City of Toronto’s new chief corporate officer as of October 2012, has made drastic changes within facilities management, the group to which corporate security traditionally belonged. One of the changes was elevating corporate security to its own city unit, reporting directly to the chief corporate officer, resulting in Nichol’s new appointment. The change was initiated and implemented on Jan. 28, 2013. The new corporate security unit is currently undergoing internal changes based on this vertical elevation in management.

The corporate security department has existed at the City of Toronto for 20 years. The department has grown from a couple of buildings with in-house staff to nearly 200 in-house staff across the city and a management team of 18. Corporate security provides security services to over 2,000 facilities; maintains a central monitoring station and a mobile unit; manages the city’s access card system of over 45,000 staff; manages a large capital program; and augments its operations with contracted staff. In 2009, City Council approved the City-wide Security Policy which outlines the obligations of corporate security, senior management and staff.
 
Silvia Fraser is supervisor, business strategies and risk management office, corporate security, for the City of Toronto.