LETTERS OF COMMENDATION

SINCE FEBRUARY 2006 BOARD MEETING

Date Received: 10 February 2006

From: Campaign Cabinet Member, United Way/Centraide Ottawa

OPS Member: Special Constable Monique Paquette*

Excerpts from Letter:

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you for providing Special Constable Monique Paquette to United Way/Centraide Ottawa’s 2005 Loaned Representative program. The hard work and dedication of our Loaned Representatives is essential to the success of the United Way/Centraide Ottawa’s campaign…Thank you once again for sending us “your best” and for helping to make a difference in our community.

* Special Constable Paquette is now a recruit – Constable Paquette.

Date Received: 16 February 2006

From: Member of the Public

OPS Members: Constable Benoit Dallaire

Excerpts from Letter:

….I had the pleasure of having Constable Benoit Dallaire handle a situation where my son-in-law / employee was involved in a minor traffic accident…Upon my arrival, the Constable made me aware of his concerns pertaining to my son-in-law’s condition, and explained that they were going to transport him to hospital for observation….As it turns out, after observations and tests, it was determined that he had suffered a minor sugar depletion, explaining his incoherence….The officer’s actions only re-confirm my opinion of the great work and compassion your staff take in their job, which is too rarely recognized and / or applauded. Keep up the great guidance and leadership. It is noticed and appreciated.

Date Received: 16 February 2006

From: Director, Amex Canada Inc.

OPS Member: Sergeant Mike Hudson

Excerpts from Letter:

…Over the years, Detective Hudson has been instrumental in assisting American Express and the entire financial community in relation to payment card fraud activity. Most recently, Detective Hudson played a key leadership role in the arrests relating to “Project Instrument”. We have learned that Detective Hudson has been promoted….While we are very happy for him, he will be sadly missed by his colleagues throughout the industry….On behalf of American Express Canada and the Global Security Team, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you, Detective Hudson and the fine officers of the Ottawa Police Service for partnering with us in the battle against credit card fraud.

Date Received: 22 February 2006

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Constable Remi Doiron

Excerpts from Letter:

I wish to thank you in a very big way to those officers in Toronto and to Constable Doiron in Ottawa who assisted in making sure my son was not wandering the streets of Toronto last night….Thank you to Constable Doiron who came to my house and was calm and professional and, most of all, reassuring….There is no guarantee in the future my son won’t be in trouble and need help but my experience gave me confidence that there are professionals in the community who can give happy endings like this one.

Date Received: 22 February 2006

From: Chief of Police, Kingston Police Service

OPS Members: Sergeant Mark Hayes, Constable Nelson Rowan

Excerpts from Letter:

The members of the Kingston Police Tactical Unit have asked me to extend their gratitude for the participation of Sergeant Mark Hayes and Constable Nelson Rowan on their Dynamic Entry Seminar, which was held in Kingston….both officers were excellent instructors and very knowledgeable in the tactical field…they were a credit to their unit and excellent ambassadors from your force.

Date Received: 23 February 2006

From: Member of the Public

OPS Members: OPS Members

Excerpts from Letter:

I want to thank you for the courage that you and the Ottawa Police apply daily as you strive to protect me, my family and everyone else in Ottawa.

Date Received: 28 February 2006

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Constable Nicole Gorman

Excerpts from Letter:

Following a ride-along experience….Constable Nicole Gorman was very professional and answered all my questions…was impressed with the organization, professionalism, excellent assistance provided to our citizens and safety measures followed. Constable Gorman is an excellent police officer. I believe that she is a great asset to your team and the community.

Date Received: 6 March 2006

From: Deputy Contingent Commander, Jordan U.N. Mission

OPS Member: Constable Dodd Tapp

Excerpts from Letter:

I wish to advise you of the contribution made by a member of your Service on a recent peacekeeping mission in Jordan….I had the opportunity to observe firsthand the performance of all the members in this intensely stressful environment. Understandably, some members were only marginally able to cope with the reality that now met them, while others simply excelled in these conditions and lead by example. In my opinion, Constable Tapp far exceeded any members there in terms of performance, courage, initiative and ability to handle pressure and stress. Also, his ability to interact with Contingent members, other International Contingents, as well as Jordanian authorities was exemplary. In a very short time he became known as a very competent and capable Contingent member by all the many nationalities he dealt with…..I came to rely heavily on his common sense and intelligent insight in many matters. I would like to take this opportunity to pass on to you the high degree of respect I have for this officer and consequently for your police service.

Date Received: 7 March 2006

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Constable Jason Lehman

Excerpts from Letters:

We always seem to receive complaints but here are kudos to a member of the Ottawa Police Service, Constable Lehman. I was involved in a traffic accident. Constable Lehman was the officer that was in charge. He did his job professionally and with thoroughness. I was not seriously injured and refused to go in the ambulance. Later, Constable Lehman convinced me that I should go to the hospital just to make sure….About an hour later, leaving the hospital with my wife, Constable Lehman arrived just to check on me. Needless to say we were impressed with his compassion. He demonstrated excellent character and compassion in the daily routine of his job and you should be proud of him.

Date Received: 8 March 2006

From: City Clerk, Office of Protocol, City of Ottawa

OPS Member: Deputy Chief Sue O’Sullivan

Excerpts from Letter:

The presentation that you made to a visiting delegation from the Netherlands was extremely informative and provided an insightful look into the relationship between Federal, Provincial and Municipal law enforcement agencies. The delegation walked away with sound practical advice and direction that will no doubt be taken into account when they return home and begin creating the new Department of Public Security.

Date Received: 10 March 2006

From: Detachment Commander, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

OPS Members: Constable Scott Handler, Constable Peter Danyluk

Excerpts from Letter:

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of two officers and the quality of their work….Our assigned investigator in regards to this matter was a former employee with your police service. Utilizing his previous contacts within your organization, he contacted Constable Scott Handler, who conducted internal database checks as well as other inquiries. Constable Handler contacted Constable Peter Danyluk after noting that he had previous dealings with (the one suspect who was a resident of Ottawa). As a result, the two suspects were arrested in Thunder Bay. Both officers conducted themselves in a professional and proficient manner throughout the investigation. They made themselves available to answer questions while on and off duty, and should be commended for their dedication to service and the community. The information received from your police service was solely responsible for identifying the suspect as the male involved in this investigation.

Date Received: 5 March 2006

From: Counsellor, The Canadian Hearing Society

OPS Member: Constable Patrick Alden, Sergeant Phil Tennant, Sergeant Jeff Webster, Sergeant Shammi Persaud

Excerpts from Letter:

I want to express my appreciation about some police officers who treated one of my deaf clients quite respectably. It was my first interaction with the police in that context and although I found it quite stressful to watch my client being arrested and handcuffed, I found that the explanations and courtesy showed to myself, the interpreter and my client worth mentioning to you. Constable Alden led my client into a room to read him his rights with Sergeant Tennant. My client objected to being handcuffed at that time because it meant he would be unable to speak while having his hands behind his back. Constable Alden and Sergeant Tennant explained to us and him that it was only for safety reasons so he could be searched and that when they were done, the handcuffs would be taken off….Both officers repeatedly offered us explanations of what was going to happen next and accommodated our requests to be with our client throughout this process….When I arrived at 474 Elgin station, Sergeant Webster was waiting for me in the lobby to accompany me down to the holding cell as quickly as possible so that my client as he said ‘would know what’s going on’…Upon his release, Sergeant Persaud read my client his conditions of release and I was so impressed to see Sergeant Persaud give my client the respect of actually speaking to and looking directly at him instead of referring to the interpreter and saying ‘tell him this, tell him that’ as most hearing people do when dealing with a deaf person and an interpreter. Like Constable Alden, Sergeant Persaud also waited for my client to regain his composure to he could clearly see what the interpreter was saying as well as let me interject to confirm with my client that he clearly understood what the conditions meant….I have told some of my deaf co-workers and other clients about my experience with your officers as they have previously had very negative interactions with the police. I’m hopeful that the interactions between the police and deaf persons in our community will continue to improve, especially if more of your officers are as accommodating and ‘deaf aware’ as were Constable Alden, Sergeant Tennant, Sergeant Webster and Sergeant Persaud.

Date Received: 6 March 2006

From: Counsel, Trustee Services, The Law Society of Upper Canada

OPS Member: Staff Sergeant Don Sweet

Excerpts from Letter:

I wish to acknowledge the recent assistance Staff Sergeant Don Sweet provided to my offices and me during our recent attendance in Ottawa…I contacted your Division Office beforehand, to advise that we might need assistance in gaining entrance to the premises when executing the Order. Staff Sergeant Sweet was extremely professional and efficient, while being a pleasure to deal with on this matter…Although we did not, in the end, require the officers to attend, I was certainly confident of their prompt arrival, had it been required, given the manner in which the whole issue was handled – a feeling one does not always have when entering these situations and one that makes the situation considerably less stressful than might otherwise be the case.

Date Received: 20 March 2006

From: The Ontario Court of Justice

OPS Members: Mr. Vince Westwick, Acting Superintendent Ralph Erfle

Excerpts from Letter:

I’m writing to you on behalf of the judges of the Ontario Court of Justice to thank you for the tremendous support that has been given to the Ottawa Drug Treatment Court from its inception to opening date by yourself as well as numerous members of the Ottawa Police Service.

Date Received: 20 March 2006

From: Manager, Video Unit, Niagara Regional Police Service

OPS Members: Acting Staff Sergeant Shaun Brabazon, Constable Peter Van Der Zander

Excerpts from Letter:

On behalf of our Video Unit and the Ontario Police Video Training Alliance, I appreciate this opportunity to pass along our most sincere thanks for the tremendous assistance provided to us by two of your officers during the production of last year’s OPVTA production, “Professionalism”. Acting Staff Sergeant Brabazon of your Training Unit did a tremendous job coordinating and overseeing a scenario involving police interaction with a member of Ottawa’s transgendered community…In conjunction with the Ottawa Police Liaison Committee, Acting Staff Sergeant Brabazon invested considerable time and energy in the development of a scenario that was realistic and from which meaningful education and awareness could be derived…On the day of production, we also worked with Constable Peter Van Der Zander, who did a great job playing the role of an Ottawa officer tasked with investigating a motor vehicle collision. Constable Van Der Zander was a pleasure to work with, as he demonstrated the perfect balance of professionalism, courtesy and good intentions that we were trying to convey through the scenario. The cooperative and positive attitudes demonstrated by both of these officers made the taping of this important scene a very pleasant experience….I thank you for the Ottawa Police Service’s commitment to the OPVTA.

Date Received: 28 March 2006

From: Officer-in-Charge, Police Sciences School, Canadian Police College

OPS Member: Sergeant Michael McCormack

Excerpts from Letter:

Sergeant Michael McCormack has lectured at the Canadian Police College on the Financial Investigations Course on three separate occasions during the past year. We sought his knowledge and expertise as a subject matter expert, to share his insights with course candidates on the subject of proceeds of crime and offence related property. Sergeant McCormack assisted in developing over seventy-five candidates from police forces across Canada during that period. He is an excellent ambassador to the Ottawa Police Service and an asset to our program.

Date Received: 5 April 2006

From: Councillor Maria McRae, River Ward, City of Ottawa

OPS Members: Superintendent Charles Bordeleau, Inspector Paul Hébert, Inspector Kai Liu, Inspector Gary Meehan, Staff Sergeant Chris Renwick, Staff Sergeant Kevin McCaffery, Staff Sergeant Alan McConnell, Staff Sergeant Graydon Patterson, Sergeant Tom Murray, Constable Mario Bergeron, Constable Lisa Briggs, Constable Kimberly Brigden, Constable Chris Niblett, Constable Len Vaz

Excerpts from Letter:

(E-mail to Chief Bevan and Chair El-Chantiry) A quick note to say how well ‘Ottawa’s Finest’ represented the Ottawa Police Service at my two Community Safety & Crime Prevention meetings. My residents were impressed with their presentations and their genuine warmth. I am always so proud of our members. Please join me in thanking the members for their excellent work.

Date Received: 6 April 2006

From: Ontario Federation of Agriculture

OPS Members: Inspector John Copeland, Staff Sergeant Mark Ford, Staff Sergeant Rick Lavigne, Sergeant Alan Martel

Excerpts from Letter:

Just a few words to express my sincere thanks for the excellent work you have done this week. I really appreciated your understanding, your comprehension, your availability, your cooperation and your wish to accommodate all of us. You fulfill all our needs and even more than expected.

Date Received: 6 April 2006

From: Quebec Federation of Agriculture

OPS Members: Inspector John Copeland, Staff Sergeant Mark Ford, Staff Sergeant Rick Lavigne, Sergeant Alan Martel

Excerpts from Letter:

We would like to thank you and all members of the Ottawa Police for your collaboration. We think we absolutely need the police collaboration to organize the demonstrations that we do. It was peaceful and it is what we want.