Sgt Dave Thomas joined the OPP in 1985 and served at the Port Credit & Milton Detachments before his promotion and transfer to GTR Regional Headquarters in 1995 where he served as the Regional Community Policing Services/ Media Relations Manager. In 1999, he was seconded to GHQ to serve as communications coordinator for the Provincial Adequacy Standards Implementation Project prior to receiving a transfer to our Corporate Communications Bureau in 2001. Sgt Thomas has since served with both the Provincial Police Academy & Operational Policy & Support Bureau prior to coming to the Crime Prevention Section in January 2007.

Sgt Thomas has received the OPP Commissioner’s Citation for his development and implementation of a myriad of community safety and crime prevention programs in support of traffic safety, victim assistance, elder abuse, youth development and crime prevention in general including his work as a community volunteer in support of Child Find Ontario, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Women Abuse Shelters and United Way of Ontario.

He is a recipient of the National Police Award for Traffic Safety, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Police Officer of the Year Award, American Society of Industrial Security’s Community Policing Award, Washington D.C .Police Executive Research Forum’s Excellence in Problem Solving Award and was the first OPP member to receive the prestigious Ontario Amethyst Award for outstanding achievement by a public servant.

A recent graduate from the State of Michigan’s Commission on Law Enforcement Standards Crime Prevention Program with the Detroit Police Department, Sgt Thomas has successfully completed numerous courses of study in relation to business marketing & communications, project management and community policing. He holds an Honours Diploma in Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement and is pursuing his Bachelor of Professional Arts Degree - Criminal Justice Major at Athabaska University, Alberta.

As the OPP Provincial Coordinator of Community Issues, Sgt Thomas oversees the research, development and provincial coordination and facilitation of problem oriented crime prevention and community mobilization strategies/programs.

Through his “Reducing Crime by Design” program, Sgt Thomas briefly outlines and explains the history, principles and crime prevention strategies of CPTED and how physical safety measures by design can influence human behaviour in support of safer and more secure communities in Ontario.