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)

Vern White,

Chief of Police

Attach. (1)

LETTERS OF COMMENDATION

Date Received: 23 February 2011

From: S.J. Day, Lieutenant-Colonel, National Defense

OPS Member: Constable Robert Wyers

Excerpts from Letter: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for granting Cst Wyers the time off to allow him to support our Basic Operator Qualification Course. Cst Wyers was employed as a Firearms Instructor in September 2010 and displayed the highest standard of maturity and professionalism. His ability to demonstrate, explain and coach basic and advanced firearms handling skills reflected very well on him personally as well as on your department’s professional standards. The ability to employ our Reserve Members in support of training events such as this is a significant asset to the organization and I appreciate your support in this endeavour.

Date Received: 23 February 2011

From: S.J. Day, Lieutenant-Colonel, National Defense

OPS Member: Constable Dave Dewar

Excerpts from Letter: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for granting Cst Dewar the time off to allow him to support our Basic Operator Qualification Course. Cst Dewar was employed as a Close Quarter Battle Instructor January and February 2011. He was employed as a member of the instructor demonstration team and as a floor instructor. His detailed knowledge of the CQB Skills and Drills being taught and his ability to professionally critique and correct individual and team performance contributed to the success of the candidates. The ability to employ our Reserve Members in support of training events such as this is a significant asset to the organization and I appreciate your support in this endeavour.

Date Received: 23 February 2011

From: S.J. Day, Lieutenant-Colonel, National Defense

OPS Member: Sergeant Steven DeVille

Excerpts from Letter: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for granting Sgt DeVille the time off to allow him to support our Basic Operator Qualification Course. Sgt DeVille was employed as a Close Quarter Battle Instructor in January and February 2011. Sgt DeVille displayed the highest standard of professionalism throughout. He was a member of the instructor demonstration team and was required to coach basic and advanced CQB skills at the individual and team level. Sgt DeVille’s ability to provide detailed demonstrations and explanations was of great benefit to the candidates. His maturity and instructional abilities reflect very well on him personally as well as on your department’s professional standards.

Date Received: 24 February 2011

From: Harout Manougian, Chair, Armenian Youth Federation of Canada

OPS Members: OPS Members

Excerpts from Letter: On behalf of the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada, I would like to thank the Ottawa Police for their professionalism and cooperation in conjunction with the protest in front of the Embassy of Azerbaijan. The OPS was very helpful throughout the permit approval process and their presence on site during the protest ensured that the message of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenians and their Christian cultural artefacts was delivered to the public with minimal interruption to city traffic.

Date Received: 17 March 2011

From: Member of the Public

OPS Members: OPS Members

Excerpts from Letter: As a nurse at the Ottawa Hospital, I want to take a minute to thank the efficient dispatch and front line officers who helped me today in the care of one of my patients. Unable to reach the patient with a critical lab value, who lives alone with no emergency contact, my only resource was to contact the OPS. I was assisted very efficiently and without hesitation, and as a result was able to ensure this client received timely and appropriate care. Something I could not have provided on my own. Too often these efforts go unrecognized and I wanted to ensure that was not the case today. Much appreciated.

Date Received: 10 March 2011

From: Louise Belanger, Director, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

OPS Member: Sergeant Dodd Tapp

Excerpts from Letter: On behalf of the Emergency and Issue Management (EIM) Directorate, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, we would like to extend our sincerest thank you to the Ottawa Police Services and more specifically to Sgt Dodd Tapp who provided a presentation at our National Annual EIM Conference this past February. His presentation on the Critical Incident Stress Management was directly related to our business lines and allowed open discussion amongst our regional coordinators who are often faced with the challenges of responding on the ground to emergencies affecting First Nations communities across Canada. Sgt Tapp’s professionalism, own experiences and interpersonal skills were key in successfully engaging the regional coordinators in a comfortable atmosphere. We look forward to the possibility of working together again in the future.

Date Received: 14 March 2011

From: Steve Tanner, Chief of Police, Kingston Police

OPS Members: Sergeant Kristin Jennings, Christine Callaghan, Ginette Massicotte, Blake Dunnett and Hugo Zambrano

Excerpts from Letter: For the past several months, members of my staff have been working towards the implementation of the eJust software for the electronic exchange of information with the local courts. The Officer-in-Charge of our Court Services Unit, Staff Sergeant Chris Scott, has relayed to me that his venture was made much more straightforward thanks to the invaluable assistance of members of the Ottawa Police Service, specifically Sgt Jennings, Christine Callaghan, Ginette Massicotte, Blake Dunnett & Hugo Zambrano. Please convey to your members our sincere appreciation for their assistance and the sharing of their expertise during this very important project of the Kingston Police.

Date Received: 31 March 2011

From: Member of the Public

OPS Member: Inspector Uday Jaswal and Constable Jonathan Gillard

Excerpts from Letter: Thank you for taking the time to investigate the matters raised at Reference B (my letter to the Chief dated December 8, 2010) and Reference C (my letter to Insp Jaswal dated February 23, 2011). Thank you as well for providing additional information with respect to Constable Gillard’s participation in this case.

Date Received: 31 March 2011

From: Earl Witty, Superintendent, Toronto Police Service (Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Committee)

OPS Member: Constable Darwin Turner

Excerpts from Letter: I am writing to convey the appreciation of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Traffic Committee for the tremendous work by Cst Turner during his involvement with the Provincial Speed Measurement Advisory Committee. Cst Turner has made significant contributions to the Committee including his contributions as the Secretary and assistance with the development of the Committee’s presentation material. Cst Turner’s knowledge and expertise helped move the program and the pursuit of the public safety to the forefront. During his membership, he has helped the institute Provincial Requalification Training, the creation of a new Master Instructor Course, and helped augment RADAR/LIDAR Instructor Courses. Cst Turner’s knowledge and technical expertise was a definite asset to the Committee. Although we wish him well, it is a great loss to see him move on to the other police employment outside of the traffic world.

Date Received: 30 March 2011

From: Jan Harder, Councillor

OPS Member: Constable Tara McDougall

Excerpts from Letter: We, the City Councillors for Barrhaven, would like to formally congratulate Cst McDougall on a successful term as Community Police Officer for Barrhaven. Cst McDougall has served the city with distinction and has worked hard to strengthen the safety of Barrhaven. She has risen above and beyond her call of duty on numerous occasions assisting with a variety of important and sensitive community concerns. She has always been readily available for our offices, regardless of the issue. Her professionalism has been exemplary and she has been overwhelmingly appreciated by the community during her term of service. Tara has always been a welcome addition to our community events and has consistently provided us with exceptional service. Moreover, the community has embraced her as their police contact and accepted her as one of their own. She will be missed.