Shawna joined Toronto Police Service in 1996 and served as a police officer for 25 years, Toronto Canada in both uniform and detective duties. Promoted in 2007 to Sergeant serving as a frontline supervisor. Further served in Professional Standards, Criminal Investigations Section. Operation Reboot Team Leader (2013-2014) a project dedicated to maximising the efficient and effective use of cyber-technology, and open source information (including social media) to continually improve the quality of police services within Toronto. Detective/Sergeant, Computer Cyber Crime (C3) & Strategic Assessment and Analysis Section (SAAS) of Intelligence Services (2014-2015).
Served as an Inspector, Intelligence Services (2015-2017) as second-in-charge of intelligence management for the City of Toronto – Including covert operations/source management, undercover operations, mobile surveillance, operational intelligence (organised crime, urban crime), project management, statistical assessment and analysis, computer cybercrime, technological crime, and the security section (overseeing national security threats, VIP protection, international assistance, NYPD liaison, airport squad liaison and internal/external threat assessments and hate crime). Inspector, Transformation Task Force (2016-2017) as part of a committee to modernise policing. This led to the strategy outlined in ‘The Way Forward’ a strategy document outlining a modernisation programme for the Toronto Police.
Deputy Chief, Priority Response Command (2017 –2020) oversaw all front-line policing units and administration, Criminal Investigation Bureaus, and support areas of all 16 police divisions, as well as Communications (911), Court Services and the Operation Centre. Deputy Chief, Communities & Neighbourhoods Command (2020). Led the proactive policing response for the City of Toronto. Deputy Chief, Human Resources Command (December 2020 – April 2021) including Professional Standards, Equity Inclusion and Human Rights, Wellness, Labour Relations, the Hearings Office, Talent Acquisition, the Toronto Police College and People Strategy and Performance.
Appointed Deputy Commissioner Strategy and Governance, An Garda Síochána in April 2021. Responsible for strategy development and performance improvement within An Garda Síochána. Overseeing An Garda Síochána’s corporate planning process, establishing change, leadership and training programmes and ensuring that strategy implementation is achieved in a co-ordinated and integrated fashion across the organisation. Deputy Coxon assumed responsibility for the Operational Policing Role in March 2024 in addition to the Strategy and Governance role, in effect managing both portfolios until October 2024, when she was appointed to the Operational Policing role on a full time basis.
Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Law (Criminal), University of Leicester, United Kingdom – 2014
Masters in Criminology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON – 2001
Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, York University, Glendon College, Toronto, ON – 1996.