When you’ve been a detective for much of your life, you never stop working on trying to solve murders.
Even on your final day before retirement.
That is exactly what Toronto Police Chief James Ramer was doing Sunday — his last full shift after 42 years as a police officer, much of which was spent as a detective or supervising them in many ranks including the last two and a half as chief.
“We never stop working on these cases,” he said in an interview.
Anyone looking for proof of that need only to look back to three weeks ago when Ramer stood at the podium at Toronto Police headquarters with Supt. Pauline Gray and Det. Sgt. Steve Smith to announce an arrest in the sexual assaults and murders of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice after almost 40 years.
Having actually being on the job with Toronto Police at the time of these 1983 murders, it was very personal for Ramer — but he admits they are all personal. He made special point to pay tribute in that news conference to not just the “amazing work” of Gray and Smith and their team but also on many detectives over the decades who are either already passed on or retired.
“It’s important because the work they all did at that time to collect DNA and preserve evidence was instrumental later as technology and science advanced” he said.
First came the link that it was one killer and then later with genealogy technology that can highlight family DNA lines, they were able to build a case. The arrest of Joseph George Sutherland, 61, is a prime example.
“I think he knew when we went up to Moosonee with a court warrant to give us a blood sample the jig was up,” he said.
Sutherland was charged with the first-degree murder of both women and Ramer reminds that he is still before the courts and will receive his due process in a trial before his peers. That he is there at all is because police did not quit searching.
“All goes back the original work done combined with the hard work done now,” he said. “I am so proud of all of the officers who worked on it.”
As he passes the chief’s hat to his good friend and longtime peer, Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw, he reminds that this kind of work is continuing and there are going to be more arrests like this one on cases that many have forgotten about by some but not by Toronto Police.
“There are 15 good unsolved cases we are working on right now in Toronto and another 15 we are working with provincial partners on,” he said Ramer.
The message to those killers is simple: “We are coming,” said Ramer. “You are going to get that knock on the door.”
After 11 a.m. Monday, Ramer will join the ranks of retired police officer and hand the reins over to others to proceed.
But not until then.
WIDE-RANGING RAMER
On the new police chief:
“He is a terrific person and a tremendous police officer. I was so happy the board made the decision because Myron will be an outstanding chief of police.”
On modern policing:
“It’s not about a billion-dollar budget as much as it is about serving and protecting people. We have to gain the trust of all communities and we are having success with that. There were many realistic discussions generated with from the Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations and the 151 recommendations to improve the service’s policies.”
On the Honey and Barry Sherman murder probe:
“It’s a very complicated case. Detectives are working hard on it and will continue to. No person who is murdered is ever forgotten.”
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