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Vanessa Leslie

Vanessa Leslie


Reason for inclusion / First: First Black Female OPP Inspector.

Bio / Key facts: DOB - DOD, Place of Birth, Occupation: Vanessa Leslie is a first generation Canadian born to Dominican and St. Lucian parents. Leslie joined the Ontario Provincial Police in 1994. In 2017, she became the OPP's first Black female Inspector.

Early years / Motivations: Leslie grew up in Scarborough, Ontario and attended Francis Libermann Catholic High School. While in high school she became attracted to the rank structure and organization of policing. Her mother was not supportive of Leslie’s plans to join the police right after graduation. She strongly encouraged her daughter to go to university. But she also had reservations about Leslie’s career choice, expressing concern that policing was a dangerous and masculine occupation. Leslie pursued post-secondary education and graduated with a BA in Psychology from York University in 1990.

In 1994 she realized her dream of becoming a police officer and joined the OPP. As one of the first black female OPP recruits, she began her career in Perth, Ontario. She has actively sought to gain wide ranging policing expertise including postings to Alcohol and Gaming, Crime, Recruitment and Professional Standards. Leslie has also worked closely with several diverse communities and in 2007 received an award from the Community Crime Awareness Association for her contributions to the Chinese community.

Key accomplishments/contributions: In 2008, Leslie was promoted to Sergeant making her only the second Black woman to attain that rank in the OPP. In 2016 she was promoted to Staff Sergeant, the first Black woman to hold that rank. In 2017 she became the OPP’s first Black female Inspector when she was promoted to Detachment Commander of the OPP’s Highway Safety Toronto Division.

Later years/ Present day: 2018 will mark Vanessa Leslie’s 25th anniversary with the OPP.

Other / Interesting facts: As of 2017, there are only 3 Black Female Inspectors in Canada.

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