Security staffer honoured by Toronto Police Services
Photo: Security and Emergency Services employee Alexander Williams (left), with Deputy Chief Shawna Coxon, received a Community Member Award from the Toronto Police Services Board.
A downtown campus comes with its own unique challenges, but Ryerson’s Security and Emergency Services team are always prepared to keep the area safe. On October 29, Alexander Williams, an employee of Ryerson’s security team, received an award from the Toronto Police Services Board in recognition of his contribution to the community by foiling an attempted robbery.
The award—shared with fellow security staffers Denis Chu, Lance Campbell, and John Haylow—honours Williams for an incident earlier this year in which he caught two suspects after an alleged robbery of a phone. Williams apprehended the suspects, who were later arrested by Toronto Police.
“I was doing my patrol, and I heard a commotion and the sounds of people running,” said Williams. “I headed over to the general area, and a gentleman walked up to me and asked, ‘Hey, I need some help.’ … For me personally, it felt like it was me doing the right thing. This is how I was brought up: to help another. I felt in this case that a person needed help, and I have the means to help them.”
Though the “security” label can be intimidating, Williams sees his main priority as helping people. “Our job is basically to keep everybody in the community as safe as possible, as best we can,” he said. “It’s very community-focused: we’re concerned about the people in our community coming in and out of campus. When things of this nature occur, it’s our job to make sure that everyone’s safety is taken into account, and we can handle or de-escalate the situation as best we can.”
When asked about the award, Williams gave much of the credit to his coworkers: “People who work with me all the time who help me grow all the time, and help me be the best that I can be.
“This is not just an individual award—it’s a team award that goes from the top to the bottom. I wish all of us could get honoured, because it’s not just me. I’ve had a lot of people invest in me since I’ve been here, without hesitation. I don’t think I would have been mindful enough to act without everyone I work with every day.”
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