BACKGROUND

Attached for the information of the Board are excerpts from letters of appreciation / thanks received from the public since the last regular meeting, for services rendered by members of the Ottawa Police Service.

(original signed by)

Gilles Larochelle

Acting Chief of Police

Attach. (1)

LETTERS OF COMMENDATION

Date Received: 21 October 2010

From: Acting Superintendent Sat Parhar, Calgary Police Service

OPS Member: Constable Neil Roy

Excerpts from Letter: I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Ottawa Police Service and in particular Cst. Roy for the assistance he provided to the Calgary Police Service in attempting to locate an accused person who had left our province. We had only a matter of a few days in which to serve the Notice of Appeal documentation on the offender. Cst. Roy was extremely accommodating and took on the challenge to assist us without hesitation. With only a few days left in the Notice of Appeal Application and the need to document all attempts, such tasks can at times become daunting. This was not the case for Cst. Roy. From the onset, Cst. Roy provided crucial assistance in locating the accused and attempting service. Cst. Roy balanced his work load; at times adjusting his tasks for the day in order to assist and in doing so provided exemplary service. The perseverance displayed by Cst. Roy when dealing with the accused and his lawyer was exemplary. I appreciate the efforts of your Service and welcome the opportunity to provide the same assistance in the future.

Date Received: 24 October 2010

From: Member of Public

OPS Member: Constable Mannix Velho, Constable Donald Duff

Excerpts from Letter: I met Cst. Velho and Cst. Duff today at a very small protest in Ottawa. I was annoyed and indignant that our police had to attend an animal rights protest at a private residence. Cst. Velho and Cst. Duff were the epitome of kindness, professionalism, strength, toughness and politeness. How wonderful to know that we have such fine gentlemen and women protecting us. It was such a pleasure and honor to meet them and I hope and pray that Cst. Velho, Cst. Duff and your entire force return home safely and soundly each night to their families.

Date Received: 28 October 2010

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Sergeant Nicole St John, Sergeant Paul McIntyre, Constable Nathalie Perras and Constable Claudio Escobar

Excerpts from Letter: I am a recent applicant with the Ottawa Police Service. While I have been deferred soon after the recruit application process and am taking the opportunity to better myself; I am writing you to commend your exceptional recruiting team and my personal experience with them. When I first arrived to Canada, I found myself taking great pride as an air cadet, wearing a uniform and going to drills, etc. I think the rapport built with fellow cadets and discipline also helped me stay out of trouble as a young kid, I wanted to fit into Canadian culture. Finally, in 1999 I was accepted into Algonquin College’s Police Foundations Program where I excelled in all facets of schooling and was elected Vice Co-President of the Police Institute. I was focused on my dedication to becoming an officer and most importantly, to be a better person. I applied with your service in 2002 and got as far as the background stage before I was deferred. I applied online and attended your recruiting sessions where I had the privilege of meeting Sgt. McIntyre, Cst. Escobar and Cst. St John and Cst. Perras. The presentation was inspiring for me, and the people presenting were all passionate. I am writing you to commend you and your team for picking such passionate and engaging people to represent your service.

Date Received: 29 October 2010

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Constable Steven Ecklund

Excerpts from Letter: I am writing you to commend one of your police officers on their dealings with an accident. As I crossed the intersection, a pedestrian was struck by a car. I was a witness to this accident, checked on the lady, and called 911. The firefighters were the first to respond with a police car close behind. While the firefighters were responding to the injured pedestrian, Cst. Ecklund checked on those around to ensure that witnesses remained at the scene. Cst. Ecklund was quick and efficient without making anyone feel rushed, and also helped to ensure that traffic was flowing. While Cst. Ecklund would likely say that he was just doing his job, I think that he should be commended for responding to this call and handling it so well. Cst. Ecklund put me at ease.

Date Received: 29 October 2010

From: Peter Deschamps, Ministry of Revenue

OPS Member: Constable Steven Maxwell, Constable Trevor Smith and Constable Bruno Gendron

Excerpts from Letter: At this time, we would like to thank the Ottawa Police Service especially the efforts of Cst. Maxwell, Cst. Smith and Cst. Gendron for their assistance and professionalism shown to the members of the Special Investigations Branch, with respect to a recent incident regarding the sale of unmarked cigarettes. Our joint efforts resulted in a seizure of unmarked cigarettes from a residence during the execution of a search warrant. Thank you once again for your willingness to work with other agencies to ensure a safe and healthy environment and to minimize the availability of illegal tobacco in the marketplace.

Date Received: 2 November 2010

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Staff Sergeant Lyse Fournier and Sergeant Edward Flynn

Excerpts from Letter: I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the above-noted members of your service who generously gave of their time to participate in a recent presentation to family law lawyers. S/Sgt. Fournier and Sgt. Flynn have, as always distinguished themselves as fine members of your service. They have done a great deal to foster an understanding with members of the bar about the important work of the Ottawa Police Service. I have personally known these individuals for many years and wish to commend them and thank them for their outstanding contribution to our legal community.

Date Received: 4 November 2010

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Mr. Robert Lefebvre

Excerpts from Letter: I wanted to let you know that Mr. Lefebvre who reviewed my file and had it expunged, did so in the most professional and efficient manner. He was polite and discreet while doing so. His kindness shown towards me while handling my file was greatly appreciated.

Date Received: 5 November 2010

From: Guy Ouellette, R.C.M.P.

OPS Member: Constable Darren Joseph

Excerpts from Letter: On behalf of my daughter and my wife, I would like to personally thank you for your kindness and diligence in dealing with their complaint and investigating a motor vehicle collision they were involved in. At the time of the collision, Gabrielle had just completed her Driver’s Education Training and had acquired her first motor vehicle. While returning home with her mother, she was struck from behind be a pickup truck. My wife was unable to determine the amount of the damage or hold the other driver at the scene while she called home. Upon reaching me, she was advised to call the OPS. The girls came home upset. I had them each write out a statement of what had just occurred. They subsequently attended the Leitrim Road Station where they met with Cst. Joseph. They were very impressed with Cst. Joseph’s kindness and approach to this investigation. This was very important to my daughter especially because she was a new driver who prided herself in being a safe driver. Thank you very much for your hard work.

Date Received: 12 November 2010

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Constable Alex Kirady

Excerpts from Letter: I wish to commend in the highest way possible one of your officers. Cst. Kirady calmed a potentially difficult situation in an efficient, intelligent way in the parking lot at Loblaws. I am a father of a dedicated police officer with Peel Regional. I know that it takes dedicated officers to withstand sticky situations.