Colin Millar
Served 1988-1992
Colin Millar was hired as a Constable in 1955, retiring as the Chief of Police in 1992 with 37 years of service. Shown below, is his Recruit class photo, taken in the Court House at the original Central Police Station, now demolished. One of his classmates was Constable Darryl Buckle, who was the Hamilton Police historian and museum curator in the 1970’s.
The image on the right shows one of Colin’s first assignments was in the Safety Branch. He is shown in the photo below on the far right. This picture was taken around 1963 at the rear of the Sherman Police Station, now demolished.
Colin obviously rose through the ranks during his 37 years with the Hamilton Police. At one point he worked in the Records Section as a Sergeant. In the photo on the left, below, Colin is teaching two new Cadets some part of their new job and on the right, he is watching as the very old “Name Card Index” is operated. This would predate computers by about twenty years.
He also worked in the Identification Section, where he was the Staff Sergeant. He is seen here in a 1968 class photo from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) Identification Course, The College was renamed the Canadian Police College, (C.P.C.) later.
During his career as a Police Officer and Police Leader; he attended night classes at Mohawk College and McMaster University and graduated with a Certificate in Policing. Later he became an Instructor at the Ontario Police College (O.P.C.) in Aylmer Ontario.
After his work at the O.P.C. he returned to the Hamilton Police Service and was promoted to Inspector in 1973. Shortly thereafter he was ‘seconded’ to the Ontario Police Commission to evaluate and standardize Police Training Procedures for the entire Province. He returned to the Hamilton Police Service, again working on Administrative assignments. He was promoted to Deputy Chief under Chief Bob Hamilton in 1985 and then he became Chief of Police in 1988.
He was a Senior Command Graduate of the F.B.I. Academy in Quantico, Virginia; Canadian Police College in Ottawa, Ontario; National Executive Institute in Washington, D.C.; and National Police College in Exeter, England.
Chief Millar subsequently served as the President of the F.B.I. Academy Graduates Association. During his time as president, he arranged for the Hamilton Police Men’s Chorus to visit the F.B.I. Headquarters and Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia where the Chorus performed the U.S. and Canadian national anthems at a ceremony and then toured the Headquarters and Training Academy.
Colin is pictured on the left, shaking hands with Louis Friel, Director of the F.B.I. around 1988.
He was also a Life Member of the Ontario Association of Chief’s of Police; Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police; and National Executive Institute.
Crimestoppers began as a ‘community driven’ program in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a new tool to help people make their own communities safer. Subsequently it was introduced to Calgary, Alberta. It was from there that Chief Gordon Torrance learned about the program at a C.A.C.P. conference. He assigned then Inspector Colin Millar to bring the program to Hamilton. Colin worked with Detective Jim Willis to successfully launch the program in Hamilton.
Chief Millar is pictured at a display in Limeridge Mall celebrating Police Week in the 1980’s.
He was a Member of the Parole Board of Ontario, part of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Canusa Games, the Hamilton Special Events Committee, The Canadian Club of Hamilton, The Tiger Cat Trust Foundation, The Atrium Villa Advisory Committee, the Mohawk College Law Enforcement Program, President and Board Member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton Mountain, Chair of the World Children’s Games Committee and member of the Canadian Center for Emergency Preparedness and on the Board of the Ontario Hospital Foundation.
He was a Member of the Parole Board of Ontario, part of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Canusa Games, the Hamilton Special Events Committee, The Canadian Club of Hamilton, The Tiger Cat Trust Foundation, The Atrium Villa Advisory Committee, the Mohawk College Law Enforcement Program, President and Board Member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton Mountain, Chair of the World Children’s Games Committee and member of the Canadian Center for Emergency Preparedness and on the Board of the Ontario Hospital Foundation.
Colin maintained close links with the community in Hamilton, serving as Chair of the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Board of Trustees among many other roles and committees for their Board. He was also on the Fundraising Committee for the Canadian Red Cross, Crimestoppers of Hamilton and McMaster University.
During his lifetime Chief Millar was recognized for his leadership
and service to his community and was awarded the:
- Police Exemplary Service Medal
- Queen’s Jubilee Medal
- Ontario Citizenship Medal
- Police Long Service Medal
- Lester Pearson Award from the Sertoma Club (1990)
- Award of Excellence from the Alumni Association of Mohawk College (1991)
- Tim Horton Community Service Award (1994)
- Paul Harris Fellowship Award from the Rotary Club (1995)
- Community Service Award from the Hamilton Academy of Medicine and the Ontario Medical Association (2004)
- Honorary Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.) from McMaster University (2001)
- Appointed to the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction as an important member of the Hamilton community (2003)
Despite all this work he always managed to maintain a healthy personal life with his family, golf friends and his many staff members. On the left, Colin is pictured with his Administrative staff. On the right, he is shown shaking hands with Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander. Below is a photo of Colin and his wife Barb while on the right we find him golfing at an F.B.I. event with three Hamilton police officers – (L to R – Ken Bond, Bob Buck, Brian Mullan and Colin Millar).
By Dave Bowen, Retired Inspector, Hamilton Police Service