predecessor successor religion office term_start article_title term_end name
position created george kingsmill protestant high constable of toronto 1834 william higgins -lrb- high constable -rrb-
 1834 william higgins
william higgins -lrb- high constable -rrb-

william higgins was the first high constable -lrb- or high bailiff -rrb- of the toronto police department .
higgins was appointed high constable of the home district in 1826 , a position that included being inspector of police for york , upper canada at a salary of ₤ 40 a year .
when the city of toronto was incorporated in 1834 , the new city council unanimously appointed higgins high bailiff , including the responsibility of being city inspector , with a salary of ₤ 125 a year while remaining high constable -lrb- as well as the only constable -rrb- for the region .
higgins ' term ended in scandal when he was implicated when he was implicated in the death of a man during election day anti-tory rioting by largely disenfranchised irish catholic minority which was put down by a party of protestant orangemen , led by higgins .
mayor william lyon mackenzie , in his role as chief magistrate , held a police court investigation and laid charges against higgins .
he was exonerated by the grand jury in april 1835 but , by that point city council had already chosen not to reappoint him .
he was subsequently appointed high constable of york county and served for many years .
