Letters of Commendation Received since last Regular Police Services Board Meeting

Date Received	Agencies/Members of the Public	OPS Members	Excerpts from Letters
July 03	Mr. A. Hubley, President Glen Cairn Community Association	Superintendent Peter Crosby Constable Glen Barry	My appreciation and compliments to you and your division for a fabulous day on Canada day. I spent the entire day with my family at the park….and had the chance to witness first hand and hear second hand of several examples of the OPS keeping the event – fun….Glen Barry, the new community officer, in particular deserves special mention.
July 11	Member of the public	Constable Sean O’Neill	I wish to express appreciation for the actions of officer O’Neill. Such duties must be unpleasant for any officer. Yet, from the moment of Cst. O’Neill’s arrival, his manner was evident to the family. He was compassionate; he was out of the way, yet maintained an obvious and comforting presence and was always there to offer necessary assistance and information.
July 26	Member of the public	Staff Sergeant Phil Tennant Constable Paul Hart Marine Patrol Officers	I would like to thank Staff Sergeant Tennant, Constable Hart and the marine patrol officers for the excellent job they are doing policing the Rideau River. You are making boating and fishing enjoyable again without the threat and intimidation of irresponsible boaters. Please keep up the good work; your efforts are not going unnoticed.
July 21	Canadian Police College	Constable Todd Sheppard	I would like to point out the excellent contribution to our programs by Cst. Todd Sheppard. The qualities that he has exhibited are to be commended and he is without a doubt a credit to your organization…..We look forward to working with members of your service on future courses as the professionalism and expertise displayed by your officers is appreciated and valued by the staff and myself.
July 27	Ms. C. Kritikos, Property Manager – Fairview Towers	Sergeant Roland Campbell Constable Mike Saunders	….. the prompt and professional response of Sgt. Campbell and Cst. Saunders saved the day again. …Sgt. Campbell’s knowledge of the individuals and the obvious high level of teamwork that exists within his platoon bring immediate results….it is hard to convey the gratitude that we feel when peace and a sense of calmness is restored to the street.
July 22	Ms. C. Lapointe, Counselor Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre	Louise Logue	…I had heard of all the wonderful work she does in the community and knew she would make an excellent guest speaker. So this is how Louise came to our second, third and fourth group, etc., each time with the same enthusiasm. She continues to find a spot for us despite her busy schedule, and we are truly grateful every time. She is truly an amazing individual, totally dedicated to the youth and families in our community. She brings a certain dynamic to the group. She helps the parents open their minds, make them think, recognizes their concerns and their fears and answers their questions with her extensive experience. What a brilliant educator!
July 24	Canadian Police College	Constable Milton Capaday	…Cst. Capaday attended the noted course in the capacity of a guest instructor. The guest instructor is called upon to provide an assessment of each candidate’s ability to function as a police explosives technician. These assessments require the guest instructor to possess superior judgement abilities and great confidence in their own ability and knowledge to function as a police explosives technician. He is a credit to your police service and a valuable asset to police explosives training environment.
July 29	Rev. Dr. L. Laszlo, Pastor St. Ignatius Martyr Church	Sergeant Robert Barrett Constable Tim Renwick Constable Jamie Desormeaux	I wish to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation and those of our parishioners for the assistance given by members of the Ottawa Police Service at our outdoor Religious procession in the Overbrook area Sunday the 22^nd of June…This kind of involvement by the Police Officers in the community shows they really care and is a good example to the children, many of whom were in the procession.
July 31	Member of the public	Constable Kevin Hall	We would like to take this opportunity to tell you how impressed we were with the manner in which your police department handled a situation at our home. Within ten minutes of calling, Constable Hall arrived at our house to investigate an act of vandalism. After looking at the damage, taking notes and expressing empathy toward our situation, left with the promise to tour the neighbourhood. Within 40 minutes, he returned to inform us he had found the young person responsible and to expect a call from his parents regarding restitution and apology. Needless to say, we were not only relieved but grateful for his efforts.
August 9	Member of the public	OPS Members	As a resident of Ottawa & Orleans for 61 years I must say that I have always found your members to be helpful at all times. My wife and I wish them all safe and successful careers.
August 12	Mr. D. Glastonbury, Chair Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce	OPS Members	The Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce wishes to acknowledge and compliment the men and women of the Ottawa Police Force for their dedication and professionalism. One has only to look back at Canada Day to see thousands of visitors to our city joining with our citizens to celebrate Canada in a joyous and orderly fashion. Crowd and traffic control managed by your officers and other community police services ensured that our national holiday was enjoyed in a safe and responsible way.
August 19	Member of the public	Constable James O’Connell-Smith	…His professionalism in handling the incident is what really impressed me. I think you have a constable you should all be proud of. Keep up the good work.
August 19	Member of the public	Constable Norman Redmond	…Thanks to him I’m safe, warm and have a place to rest until the morning. What a great job he did. Just another reason why I like the police so much. Please pass on my thanks to Constable Redmond, O.K. Chief. I was in a bad spot that he made much better.
August 20	Citizen of Toronto	Sergeant Rick Hayman Constable Rick Charbonneau	I would like to commend two of your investigators Messer’s Rick Hayman and Richard Charbonneau. Sgt. Hayman certainly went the extra mile, for a couple of strangers to your city, even as far as assisting us in finding affordable lodgings for our stay, while we took care of my wife’s mother’s needs ….. he is a great ambassador for the City of Ottawa and a credit to the Ottawa Police Service.
August 19	Member of the public	OPS Members	I do not have the “right words” to tell you of what all the policeman did for us on August 14/03. “Very Special” policeman all over the city, all doing a special job for all of us, what an “honour” to have them. After September 11 when police and fireman lost their life, it sure made me highly respect them.
August 20	Member of the public	OPS Members	…my daughter and I attended the “Get Active for Ardeth Tribute”. It was a very moving tribute with a wonderful presence of the Ottawa Police Force. I wish I could remember the names of all the men and women from your department that so willingly helped make this special tribute to Ardeth and her family come to fruition. Officer Cartwright gave a most informative workshop regarding safety on the pathways, using your bicycle for self-defence. His presentation was so sincere and his rapport with the public was captivating. He’s an amazing resource for the community. When the organizers addressed the attendees, both were so complimentary and so appreciative regarding all the help and cooperation from the police department – at all levels. Hearing this, I was compelled to pass on this email.
August 22	RCMP	OPS Officers	I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank [members of] the Ottawa Police Service for their assistance to the RCMP “A” Division Commercial Crime Section. The assistance rendered by your officers was invaluable. They provided a highly professional level of assistance, the quality of which we have grown accustomed to receiving each and every time we work in partnership with the Ottawa Police Service.
August 21	Member of the public	Constable Al Ferris	Throughout the terrifying ordeal, your officer was kind, sympathetic, and yet firm when he had to be. He truly helped to make a really bad situation as “okay” as it could be. We are brand new to this neighbourhood and it delighted me to see that the calibre of the Police force was truly excellent. Thanks to you and your team, Chief Bevan, for helping our family through such a crisis.
August 13	Member of the public	Constable Rachelle James	I would like to take this opportunity to thank one of your officers for the extra mile she went for me when I found myself broken down on the side of the road late in the evening…Her efforts were very much appreciated. Too often people are quick to criticize the efforts of an individual and not as quick to commend them. She told me there was no reason to thank her.
August 21	U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Department of Homeland Security Embassy of the United States	OPS Officers	On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the assistance provided by the Ottawa Police Service….As a result of the evidence recovered in the search warrant, ____ was indicted by a Federal grand jury in the Western District of Michigan and charged with the possession and transmission of child pornography. The information provided in this matter supplied the foundation for the positive conclusion of this investigation. OPS efforts highlight the benefit of international cooperation in the investigation of trans-national crime….
August 19	Member of the Public	Constable Michael Herasimenko	The entire family wishes to thank you for the excellent care you gave our Mother during an extremely difficult time. Your professional and compassionate approach helped to make things easier while Dad was being cared for…We are thankful that you were there to help and it has eased our minds that everything possible was done for our loving and devoted husband and father…your kindness will never be forgotten.
August 20	Member of the Public	Constable Rick Giroux	I flew from Toronto to Ottawa for an evening. I was attending a scholarship dinner…I realized that my wallet was gone. I was in a city without any money, any identification and any friends. Air Canada directed me towards the airport policing section, where I met Constable Rick Giroux who helped me cancel my credit cards. However, his generosity and patience did not stop there. Constable Giroux then drove me to the British Council dinner, stopping along the way to get twenty of his own dollars out of an ATM machine, which he then leant me. He is a caring man and wonderful police officer. I would have been stranded without his help. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how amazing this member of your team is. He certainly reaffirmed my faith in humankind.
August 28	Member of the public	Constable Michael Herasimenko	The officer should be commended for the professional and high standard of performance he showed in conducting his investigation of the break-in to my residence. He went to great effort to locate my son in Paris, Ontario and from him obtained a means of entering my home. He also obtained the phone number of where I was staying and left a message on an answering machine there for me. He also secured my home by boarding up the loosened window that the thief made entry from. Thanks to the Police Service for the great effort.
September 4	Member of the public	Constable Daryl Coburn Constable Christopher Warren	I would like to commend Constables Coburn and Warren on the very efficient and courteous way in which they reprimanded speeding motorists on Merivale Rd and Pineglen Cres. The stretch always has speeders. My husband and I spoke with them when they were finished and they were very informative and polite to the questions we asked them.
August 29	Mrs. S. K. Bhandari President Ottawa Sikh Society	Constable Amarjit Sahota	Ottawa Sikh Society would like to express its gratitude for making available volunteer service of Constable Sahota who was instrumental in making the Ottawa Sikh Society Nagar Kirtan (Sikh parade) on June 7^th, a success to the Parliament Hill. Along with other members of the force, Cst. Sahota went beyond the call of duty in volunteering their time and expertise to ensure our Sangat (congregation) could safely traverse the route through downtown Ottawa.
August 7	Ms. J. C. Nash	Chief Bevan & OPS Members	…When we first made arrangements for this meeting, the emotions within our family were very strong and varied. Some of us are still quite angry, others are still quite numb…Despite the same questions being asked time after time, the family came away knowing there was no one to blame except the criminal….We would like to say a sincere “Thank You” to each of the police members who took the time out of their very busy schedules to not only attend this meeting but also for the work each one did on behalf of his department to contribute to the information supplied…The changes that are coming in the communications system in the way of integrated O.P.P./Ottawa Police radio systems will definitely help us in knowing that something productive will come out of something so awful. And knowing that other trainees and officers will learn from this through reviewed policies and procedures and further training also adds hope for the family. We know that their deaths were not a “waste” of two good people, but a window into things that need changing….
August 28	Mr. T. Dooling, Organizer Canadians Against Same-Sex Marriage	Sergeant Mike Murphy	I want to express my sincere appreciation for the professionalism shown by the force, and in particular Sgt. Mike Murphy and the other officers on duty for our rally on Parliament Hill August 22^nd. Please pass on my personal thanks, and that of all of us who showed up in support of National Marriage Day.
September 2	Member of the Public	Constable Jason McDonald	We have had trouble with a gang of teens that were occupying the park at the corner of Cyrville and Meadowbrook. Finally after 3 months of hell in enduring them we decided to call the police and they came quickly and dispersed them. Yesterday, Cst. McDonald came again without being asked and found liquor, knife, razor blades, etc. We are very grateful to him for his good work….We are senior citizens,… so we appreciate what he did for us, my only regret is that we didn’t call him in June, but we are always afraid of retaliation by those punks.
September 2	Mr. M. Giovinazzo President, Fallowfield Community Association	Randy Mar David Pepper Margaret Costin Natalya Kuziak	As president of the Fallowfield Community Association, I was sent the 2002 Activity Report. This is a well-presented document which portrays the vast diversity of the department and its many successful initiatives. I also noted that your web-site mirrors much of the same valuable content. Well done. Congratulations to everyone involved.