Detective Brian Smith has been with the Toronto Police for over 30 years. From 2012-16 he was the anti-terrorism and radicalization instructor at the Toronto Police College. Since 2016, he has been assigned to the Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit where he is the operational lead for the largest multi-agency collaboration in North America – FOCUS Toronto Situation Tables. F.O.C.U.S, an acronym for Furthering our Communities Uniting Services, is a collaborative risk-driven approach to community safety and well-being. This initiative, and the foundation of Toronto’s preventing violent extremism efforts, has over 110 Community Agencies participating weekly at five tables. Brian co-leads FOCUS, along with his counterparts at the City of Toronto, and the United Way of Greater Toronto.
He has been certified by the Ontario Police College as a Hate Crimes Investigator, an Ontario Major Case Management Instructor, and accredited as an RCMP Terrorism Prevention Program Master Instructor. He has received further international certifications by the UK Association of Chief Constables as a Community Engagement Prevent Instructor, a Pipeline-Convoy Criminal Interdiction Instructor, and as a Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Instructor by the National Centre for Threat Assessment & Trauma response.
With over 3 million residents living in Toronto, Brian continues to work collaboratively advancing community safety and well-being, mitigating risks, and furthering Toronto’s responses to preventing violent extremism. He is also working with a multi-sectoral team evolving Toronto’s mass casualty victim support responses. He holds a Teaching Certificate from Humber College and a B.Ed. (Adult) from Brock University.
