About me
Peter I. Collins
Peter Collins is the operational forensic psychiatrist with the Intelligence Section, of the Toronto Police Service. He was the operational forensic psychiatrist, with the Ontario Provincial Police, from 1995 to 2025. Prior to that, he was a member of the first profiling unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Violent Crime Analysis Section) and was involved in the development of the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS). Since 1992 he has been a member of the crisis/hostage negotiation team of the Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force.
Peter obtained his master’s degree in applied criminology (MCA), from the University of Ottawa, his medical degree (MD) from McMaster University and completed his postgraduate medical training in psychiatry and forensic psychiatry at the University of Toronto. His clinical appointment is with the Complex Care and Recovery Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and he is an Associate Professor, in the Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
As well, Peter is a Certified Threat Assessment Professional (Canada) and a consulting editor with the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, published by the American Psychological Association.
Peter retired from the Canadian Armed Forces (Reserves), at the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, and served on two deployments in Southern Afghanistan. Peter was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contribution to the Canadian Forces. In December 2024 he received a Commendation from the Minister of Veterans Affairs in recognition for his involvement in the creation of the Military Veterans Wellness Program and in January 2025 the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his work with veterans and his contribution to forensic psychiatry in Canada.
In 1997 he was elected to the International Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship (ICIAF). In 2015 he was presented with the Hal Lipset “Truth in Action” award from the World Association of Detectives. In 2017 Peter was presented with a lifetime achievement award from the Canadian Critical Incident Association and in August 2025 he received a career achievement award from the International Homicide Investigators Association (IHIA). He received a lifetime achievement award, from the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (CATAP), in October 2025. In November 2025 Peter received the inaugural Dr. Peter Collins Excellence in Crisis Negotiation Award from Ontario Police Crisis Negotiators.
Peter is an authority on violent crime and has worked with, and instructed, criminal justice agencies in North America, and twenty-five countries internationally, including the FBI, Interpol, and Europol.
