By Tavi Dhillon
On April 13, 2023, Colonel Giorgio Tommaseo was honoured at the Governor General’s Order of Merit of Police Forces presentation ceremony and reception.
Tommaseo was the Italian police attaché to Canada from 2014-2020 and is also a member of the Italy’s Carabinieri special unit. He was awarded the honorary Order of the Merit in 2020, but the medal presentation ceremony was delayed due to the pandemic.
Tommaseo is the first member of a non-Canadian police force to receive the Order of Merit of Police Forces. He told Esprit de Corps he was very honoured to receive it because of its significance and esteem.
While receiving his Order of Merit medal, Tommaseo met Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who presented him with the medal in Rideau Hall.
The Order of Merit of Police Forces is awarded to members of police forces who have offered outstanding service to their community. Nominees must be police officers who serve, or have served, Canada. They can be regional, provincial, or national officers.
“Col. Tommaseo has clearly embraced his operational role in Canada with gusto,” Tommaseo’s nominator wrote in his nomination papers.
Tommaseo was the first Italian police attaché to work in Canada and helped guide police forces in dealing with the mafia in Canada and their drug trade. The Carabinieri specialize in dealing with these matters in Italy, and Tommaseo’s expertise was used in the fight against the mafia in Canada.
He attended the ceremony with his wife and twelve-year-old daughter. When discussing the ceremony, he noted that his daughter was excited to meet Gov. Gen. Mary Simon’s. Tommaseo, himself, was excited to receive his long-awaited award – nearly three years after being informed that he would be honoured at the event.
Tommaseo celebrated the honour after the reception by going out with his family and some of his friends.
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces was established in 2000. Tommaseo is the first non-Canadian police officer to receive this honour.
During his six-year tenure as the Italian police attaché to Canada, Tommaseo worked directly with some police forces, and said he made countless friends. These friends attended his post-reception celebration of receiving the Order of the Merit.
In speaking of his time in Canada, Tommaseo recalled a fond memory he had from his time in Toronto. Police forces recovered a painting that was stolen from Italy and wanted to return the painting to its rightful owners – the Italians.
As a representative of the Italian government, Tommaseo was permitted to accept the painting from the police force. Being able to hold the stolen art piece was an ode to all the work he has done, in Italy and beyond.
