For the last 11 years, while most Torontonians are heading to bed, Tony Smyth has hopped into his CBC van, flicked on his police scanners, and headed off into the night.

As CBC Toronto's overnight videographer, Smyth roamed the streets and highways of the city after dark, gathering footage of crime scenes, fires and collisions.

Now transitioning to a daytime role at CBC Windsor, Smyth stopped in to speak with Metro Morning host Matt Galloway on his last day about the things he's seen on the job — and how crime has changed since he started chasing it.

Questions and answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Matt Galloway: What is it like for you to be out in the city when most people are still sleeping?

Tony S: Well, the city is a lot different, right, after midnight. My Twitter handle says nothing good happens after midnight. I'm sure lots of good things do, but I don't see a lot of them in my work. I'm basically just out there, chasing spot news, fires and shootings and things like that. The city is different. It's quiet. it's easy to get around. There's no traffic. But a lot of crime happens in the early morning hours.

Smyth uses multiple police scanners to follow what's happening in the GTA. (Tony Smyth/CBC)

MG: You're often the first on the scene. You're there before even the first responders. What is that like?

TS: Sometimes, it's a little bit nerve wracking. I've arrived a few times on big events before anybody. Shooting victims lying on the ground, where you just happen to be really close by. But having been in news for 30 years, I just kind of do my job and try to be safe and be aware of what's around you, your surroundings. But, at the same time, just do your job and get the video for the news and interview people.

MG: What are some of the big stories in your career here in Toronto?

TS: In the last eleven years, I would say one of the biggest ones was Sergeant Ryan Russell. [Russell was killed by a man driving a stolen snowplow]. I was just pulling out of the office here, and onto Wellington Street, when that call came across the scanners and my van. And it was kind of like, go left and go home, or turn right and go check out this call about a stolen snowplow. And so, I turned right and it was right at the end of my shift.

By the time I got on scene, the sergeant had been struck and there was people trying to help him. As soon as I saw them doing CPR, I knew it was going to be a horrible day, and it was. But I jumped in my car and caught up with the snowplow and got some video of the snowplow with a dash cam that was in my car. And of course, it ended up being a horrible story, but a huge story for the city. More recently, the Danforth shooting and the Danzig shooting. There's been a lot of shootings.

Breaking News - It’s been a hell of a ride at <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCToronto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCToronto</a> . After 11 years on the night shift I’m moving on. I have accepted a position at <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCWindsor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCWindsor</a> - It’ll be a big move for my family and I. We’re both excited and nervous. Wish us luck. <a href="https://t.co/Gqg1JOM3GF">pic.twitter.com/Gqg1JOM3GF</a> —@LateNightCam

MG: One of the things we hear from police, whether it's frontline officers or top brass, is that they feel more stretched than ever before. Do you see that, in terms of the response time for officers?

TS: I think, if it's a priority call, if it's a huge call for a shooting, or something like that, the police are there in often a minute or two. It's the other stuff — the traffic collisions and things like that. The wait times to get officers to those are really stretching out now. I've covered an event where a firetruck and some firefighters were left sitting for five hours waiting for a cop at a crash.

MG: How have you seen the wee hours in this city change over the 11 years that you've been doing this job?

TS: Depending on what part of the city you're in. There are definitely parts of the city now that are always busy and it's usually some of the higher crime neighbourhoods. They just don't slow down. There's people coming and going, coming and going. And in the downtown core, there's a few spots like that. The biggest change, I would think, is definitely the increase in the gun crime.

That's the biggest one that would stick out for me.

MG: There's a lot of beauty in the city in the middle of the night. Is there a beautiful moment that you remember?

TS: I relish quiet nights. I mean, you don't want to be sending a note to your boss, five nights in a row, saying you didn't do anything. But that seldom happens to me. When it is a nice quiet morning, I've definitely got spots in the city that I like to go and enjoy the sunrise. One is Marine Parade Drive in Etobicoke. It's a beautiful spot in the morning, people cycling up and down, jogging, with the sun's coming up, Toronto skyline in the background.

On quiet nights, Smyth turned his camera to rare moments of beauty in the city. (Tony Smyth/CBC)

I've taken so many pictures down there, so much video. And every time you post that stuff on social media, everybody loves it, because it's just a beautiful spot. I mean, we've got so much water, there's so many spots like that. The bottom of Royal York Road was, for years, a spot that everybody went to look back on the city. It is a beautiful city. And when I'm not busy, there is a lot that I can sit around and appreciate.