Dennis Draper
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General Dennis Colborne Draper (ca 1873-?) was the Chief Constable
of the Toronto Police Department
from 1928 to 1946.
in the Brome
region of Quebec
. He studied law at McGill University
but dropped out before completing his studies in order to accept a position with the International Paper Company in Quebec.
prior to 1914, when World War I
broke out, he enlisted with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles and went overseas with the rank of major
. He received a field promotion to lieutenant colonel
in 1918 and made commanding officer of the unit and was subsequently promoted to brigadier general
and put in command of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade.
During the war, Draper received a Distinguished Service Order
for gallantry at the Battle of Mount Sorrel and the Bar
to his D.S.O. for his conduct at the Battle of Passchendaele. He was also decorated at the Battle of Arras
and the Battle of Amiens.
, Draper was the governing Conservative Party
's candidate in Brome
and lost by less than 500 votes.
which recommended Draper, who after the war was working for the Abitibi Power and Paper Company
. Mayor Sam McBride opposed Draper's appointment arguing that the new chief should be promoted from within the force.
At the time, the police department was dominated by clique
s and promotion was a matter of fraternal connections with the Orange Order and Masonic Order as well as personal friendships. Draper is credited with breaking up that culture. However, his ignorance of police work and police methods was resented within the force as was his disciplinarianism which, at one point, led to police constables holding a strike vote
.
Draper was also criticised for a series of scandals. In 1933, he ordered a drunk driving charge against the son of a federal Conservative cabinet minister withdrawn. This resulted in demands from Toronto City Council
that he resign but Draper survived with support from the federal Conservative government. Several years later, Draper himself was charged with dangerous driving
in 1941 following an incident in which four people were injured near Cobourg, Ontario
, which again elicited cries for his dismissal.
However, Draper won the support of the city's business community and political elite by using the police force to break strikes and disrupt left-wing groups. Draper is best remembered for organizing a Red Squad
within the police department to suppress strikes and left wing meetings, political rallies and demonstrations in the 1930s. The Red Squad targeted the Communist Party of Canada
, socialists and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
as well as trade unions and demonstrations of the unemployed during the Great Depression
. Radical public meetings held weekly on the front lawn of Queen's Park were dispersed by Toronto police officers on horseback, nicknamed "Draper's Dragoons", often personally led by Draper himself. The police would charge into the crowd and beat people over the head with truncheons.
In 1933, under Draper's command, the police attempted to disrupt open air meetings of the Toronto Central Unemployed Council climaxing in a face off at Toronto's Allen Gardens on August 15 where police tried to stop a crowd of 2000 from gathering to hear speeches. When they failed, officers on motorcycles encircled the crowd, pointing their exhaust pipes inward towards the gathered open air meeting in order to project a fog of exhaust which the Toronto Daily Star compared to a poison gas attack during World War I
. The demonstrators, many of whom were war veterans, battled with police for two hours. The Police Commission subsequently ordered Draper to restrain his men from interfering with public meetings unless a law had actually been broken.
Conversely, Draper did little to stop the 1933 Riot at Christie Pits
two days later in which youth members of local Swastika
clubs battled Jewish youth for more than four hours. Police Chief Dennis Draper was asked why there were only two policemen at the park that day when there had been prior indications of trouble and the fact that two nights before, in contrast with his force's sending dozens of police on horseback and motorcycle to disrupt the left wing meeting at Allan Gardens. Draper dismissed the riot, saying that "Hebrew people arrived and caused trouble."
Suspicious of "foreigners", the Draper lobbied the City of Toronto to pass legislation banning public speeches in languages other than English, particularly Yiddish, curtailing union organization among Toronto's vast immigrant populations working in sweat shops.
Draper resigned as chief on January 18, 1946, at what was reported to be the age of 72, (this was disputed by the Mayor, an opponent of Draper's, who claimed that since Draper gave his age at 58 when he was hired in 1928, he was actually 76 in 1946), following a general housecleaning of the police department and the encouraged retirement of a number of long serving officers by the police commission.
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of the Toronto Police Department
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
from 1928 to 1946.
Early life
Draper was born and raised in SuttonSutton, Quebec
Sutton is a town situated in southwestern Quebec. It is part of the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality in the administrative region of the Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 3,805...
in the Brome
Brome, Quebec
Brome is a village located in the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality of the Estrie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 278.-Population:Population trend-Language:...
region of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He studied law at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
but dropped out before completing his studies in order to accept a position with the International Paper Company in Quebec.
Military career
Active in the Canadian MilitiaCanadian Militia
The Canadian Militia was the traditional title for the land forces of Canada from before Confederation in 1867 to 1940 when it was renamed the Canadian Army.The Militia consisted of:* Permanent Active Militia* Non-Permanent Active Militia...
prior to 1914, when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out, he enlisted with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles and went overseas with the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. He received a field promotion to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1918 and made commanding officer of the unit and was subsequently promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and put in command of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade.
During the war, Draper received a Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for gallantry at the Battle of Mount Sorrel and the Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his D.S.O. for his conduct at the Battle of Passchendaele. He was also decorated at the Battle of Arras
Battle of Arras
The name Battle of Arras refers to a number of battles which took place near the town of Arras in Artois, France:*Battle of Arras , a clash between the French and the Spanish...
and the Battle of Amiens.
Political candidate
In the 1917 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
, Draper was the governing Conservative Party
Unionist Party (Canada)
The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament in Canada who supported the "Union government" formed by Sir Robert Borden during the First World War....
's candidate in Brome
Brome (electoral district)
Brome was a federal electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1925....
and lost by less than 500 votes.
Police Chief
A retired Brigadier-General in the Canadian Army with no background in police work as well as a failed Conservative candidate, Draper was brought to Toronto because the police commission believed they needed a strict disciplinarian to reorganize the force along military lines. They approached the Defence DepartmentDepartment of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
which recommended Draper, who after the war was working for the Abitibi Power and Paper Company
Abitibi Power and Paper Company
Abitibi Power and Paper Company was a Montreal, Quebec based business founded in 1917. The firm was a mainstay of the Canadian newsprint industry in thefirst half of the 20th century. The manufacturer became bankrupt in 1935....
. Mayor Sam McBride opposed Draper's appointment arguing that the new chief should be promoted from within the force.
At the time, the police department was dominated by clique
Clique
A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
s and promotion was a matter of fraternal connections with the Orange Order and Masonic Order as well as personal friendships. Draper is credited with breaking up that culture. However, his ignorance of police work and police methods was resented within the force as was his disciplinarianism which, at one point, led to police constables holding a strike vote
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
.
Draper was also criticised for a series of scandals. In 1933, he ordered a drunk driving charge against the son of a federal Conservative cabinet minister withdrawn. This resulted in demands from Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
that he resign but Draper survived with support from the federal Conservative government. Several years later, Draper himself was charged with dangerous driving
Dangerous driving
Dangerous driving is a statutory offence in England and Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is also a term of art used in the definition of the offence of causing death by dangerous driving...
in 1941 following an incident in which four people were injured near Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
, which again elicited cries for his dismissal.
However, Draper won the support of the city's business community and political elite by using the police force to break strikes and disrupt left-wing groups. Draper is best remembered for organizing a Red Squad
Red squad
In the United States, Red Squads were police intelligence units that specialized in infiltrating, conducting counter-measures and gathering intelligence on political and social groups during the twentieth century. Dating as far back as the Haymarket Riot in 1886, Red Squads became common in larger...
within the police department to suppress strikes and left wing meetings, political rallies and demonstrations in the 1930s. The Red Squad targeted the Communist Party of Canada
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
, socialists and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
as well as trade unions and demonstrations of the unemployed during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Radical public meetings held weekly on the front lawn of Queen's Park were dispersed by Toronto police officers on horseback, nicknamed "Draper's Dragoons", often personally led by Draper himself. The police would charge into the crowd and beat people over the head with truncheons.
In 1933, under Draper's command, the police attempted to disrupt open air meetings of the Toronto Central Unemployed Council climaxing in a face off at Toronto's Allen Gardens on August 15 where police tried to stop a crowd of 2000 from gathering to hear speeches. When they failed, officers on motorcycles encircled the crowd, pointing their exhaust pipes inward towards the gathered open air meeting in order to project a fog of exhaust which the Toronto Daily Star compared to a poison gas attack during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The demonstrators, many of whom were war veterans, battled with police for two hours. The Police Commission subsequently ordered Draper to restrain his men from interfering with public meetings unless a law had actually been broken.
Conversely, Draper did little to stop the 1933 Riot at Christie Pits
Riot at Christie Pits
The Christie Pits riot occurred on 16 August 1933 at the Christie Pits playground in Toronto, Canada. The riot can only be understood in the context of the anti-semitism, Swastika clubs and parades and resentment of "foreigners" in Toronto, and the rise of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany in...
two days later in which youth members of local Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
clubs battled Jewish youth for more than four hours. Police Chief Dennis Draper was asked why there were only two policemen at the park that day when there had been prior indications of trouble and the fact that two nights before, in contrast with his force's sending dozens of police on horseback and motorcycle to disrupt the left wing meeting at Allan Gardens. Draper dismissed the riot, saying that "Hebrew people arrived and caused trouble."
Suspicious of "foreigners", the Draper lobbied the City of Toronto to pass legislation banning public speeches in languages other than English, particularly Yiddish, curtailing union organization among Toronto's vast immigrant populations working in sweat shops.
Draper resigned as chief on January 18, 1946, at what was reported to be the age of 72, (this was disputed by the Mayor, an opponent of Draper's, who claimed that since Draper gave his age at 58 when he was hired in 1928, he was actually 76 in 1946), following a general housecleaning of the police department and the encouraged retirement of a number of long serving officers by the police commission.