Ithaca says goodbye to Officer Colin Hayward-Toland

By Jamie Swinnerton
Tompkins Weekly

 

In September of 2016 9-year-old Colin Hayward-Toland was sworn in as the youngest ever member of the Ithaca City Police Department, a role he took seriously, telling the community that he “just liked helping people.” Officer Colin had already shown his bravery and strength while fighting brain cancer and sporatic tumors since he was young.

The community followed Officer Colin’s trials, and adventures, through a public Facebook page set up by his parents, Officer Colin: The Youngest Member of the Ithaca Police Department. Everywhere Colin went, whether it was here in Ithaca or out of state for treatment, officers of numerous law enforcement agencies came to visit their fellow officer and offer help where they could. When Colin was sworn in by then Police Chief John Barber he also made a new friend. Barber would often make the trips out of town to visit his friend and fellow officer, playing thumb wars and talking about how to make the world a better place.

Officer Colin passed away on Sunday, March 18 at the age of 10. On the public Facebook page Colin’s parents shared this message for his fans and supporters, “Lieutenant Colin returned to the cosmos in the loving embrace of his family. His passing was more peaceful and gentle than we could have imagined. On his last day, he went outside and felt the sun on his face and the wind in his hair.”

 

On Tuesday, March 20, Officer Colin and his family flew back to New York from Memphis. The Ithaca Police Department, and multiple other agencies provided the family with a police escort from Syracuse airport all the way back to Ithaca. Along the route the Tompkins County community mourned the loss of the youngest IPD officer, holding signs and flags to welcome Officer Colin home.