On May 25, 2021 the Ontario Provincial Police announced a year long evaluative study of body worn cameras (BWCs). The OPP Association fully supports this evaluative study. OPP Association President Rob Stinson and Director Mike Adair attended the training for the officers involved in the evaluation study on April 30, 2021 in Tillsonburg, Ontario.
OPP Association President and CEO Rob Stinson states:
It is our hope at the OPP Association that our members being equipped with body worn cameras will ultimately protect our members and protect the public. We are looking forward to the day that all of our members throughout Ontario are equipped with this technology. We believe that body worn cameras will provide key evidence to enhance trust and transparency for the public, as well as provide evidence to protect our members from frivolous and vexatious conduct complaints. Our members look forward to complying with all of the necessary training and regulations to ensure the effective performance and evaluation of body worn cameras.
For reference, the press release of the OPP on May 25, 2021 is included below:
OPP TO CONDUCT EVALUATIVE STUDY OF BODY-WORN CAMERAS
(ORILLIA, ON) – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is about to begin a yearlong evaluative study of body worn cameras (BWCs).
Beginning on May 25, 2021, the OPP will equip uniform members of the Haldimand Detachment, members of the OPP West Region Emergency Response Team (ERT) and members of the West Region Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (TIME) team with body-worn cameras. This study will help inform broader OPP implementation of new technologies in the future.
OPP officers participating in the evaluative study will have the body-worn camera in plain view, and the camera has lights and indicators showing it has been activated. Officers are trained to give notice as soon as reasonably possible that a body-worn camera is in operation.
OPP officers participating in the study will turn on the body-worn camera prior to arriving at a call for service; at the earliest opportunity, prior to any contact with a member of the public, and where that contact is for an investigative or enforcement purpose. The body-worn camera will be turned off when the call for service or investigation is complete.
The OPP has conducted a comprehensive review of policies and procedures developed by our partner police agencies as it relates to the use and privacy impacts of BWCs. Procedures have been created to address potential privacy concerns and to ensure the security of the video once it has been recorded during the course of this study.
The OPP supports the implementation and use of tools or technologies that enable collecting better evidence, demonstrate greater accountability and transparency, and enhance public and officer safety in the communities we serve.
On behalf or the Board of Directors, members and staff of the Ontario Provincial Police Association I take this opportunity to salute our paramedic partners on the occasion of Paramedic Services Week May 23-29, 2021. Our paramedics are always at the ready and routinely called to assist people, including our members, often during very trying and traumatic circumstances.
Paramedics save lives, and we are grateful. We are especially grateful of your service during the Covid-19 Pandemic, where you have faced unprecedented challenges to keep yourselves and your families safe while helping others. Thank you for your service and dedication.
I urge you this week to take some time to follow the information being presented this week on the theme of “Paramedic As Educator – Citizen Ready”. You can follow along and learn about the information each day on the ParamedicChiefs.ca website.
Monday – Activation of 911
Tuesday – Control the Bleeding
Wednesday – High Performance CPR
Thursday – Opioid Overdoses
Friday – Emergency Preparedness (the first 72 hours)
Saturday – Paramedic Services Recognition Day
Rob Stinson ~ President and CEO
Ontario Provincial Police Association
Provincial Constables Robert Maki (left) and Nicholas Kwong (right)
May 9-15, 2021 is National Police Week in Canada and USA. We are celebrating our OPP Association members in series of blog and social media posts. It is all too often that our members do great work.
Our members were the subjects of 34 nominations for Police Association of Ontario Police Hero Awards in 2021. One nomination was received that was ineligible due to the nominator not being a member of the community.
The PAO were kind enough to forward that nomination on to the OPP Association staff. We felt that this story was important to share during National Police Week. The nominator was Provincial Constable Robert Maki for his colleague Provincial Constable Nicholas Kwong.
PC Maki credits PC Kwong with saving his life, and has since nominated his partner for a Bravery Decoration from the Government of Canada.
On April 9th, 2020, Provincial Constable Robert Maki and Provincial Constable Nicholas Kwong attended a 911 call regarding a disturbance at a residence in the City of Temiskaming Shores (New Liskeard) Ontario.
When the officers arrived on scene, they were given details of a possible break and enter in progress by the homeowner. The homeowner’s child was inside the residence with an armed suspect. PC Maki was confronted by the suspect armed with a gun. The situation developed rapidly with PC Kwong taking action to save the life of his partner. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the officers involved were justified in their actions that day. Both of these officers put their lives at risk to protect the life of a young boy who was trapped in the house with the suspect.
There is no such thing as a routine call for our police members. At any time a situation can turn violent, and potentially deadly. Our members face tremendous stress during calls for service such as this, and often experience trauma for many years after such an incident. There are often many members affected by a traumatic incident who go unnamed and unknown and carry on doing their jobs with no fanfare. Our members are humble, and their stories don’t often make it into the mainstream media.
PC Maki stated: “I would like everyone to know that there was a lot of good work done by many people that day. Thank you to our supervisor who kept their composure, took charge of the scene, and looked after us. Thank you to the ERT (Emergency Response Team) member who helped us clear the house and provide first aid. Thank you to the officer who secured the scene outside, not knowing exactly was developing inside. Thank you to all of our neighbouring Kirkland Lake OPP Detachment members who came down to cover our calls that night.”
PC Maki has since become a peer support volunteer with the Healthy Workplace Team. He has volunteered to provide support in many other situations to his peers. He encourages anyone to reach out for assistance. Nobody is alone.
If you are an OPP member and wish to access peer support you can call 1-844-677-9409.
The Encompas Mental Health Wellness Program is available for eligible OPP Association members and their families 24/7 by calling 1-866-794-9117 or visiting online at EncompasCare.ca.
Sarah Bowers-Peter is a civilian employee of the Ontario Provincial Police, and a member of the OPP Association. We are honoured to profile Sarah and her career in this blog post for National Police Week 2021.
Live Chat with Crime Stoppers https://t.co/NduKIxi227
— Ontario Provincial Police (@OPP_News) May 12, 2021
In 2010 a friend reached out to Sarah Bowers-Peter and suggested she apply for a position in the newly created Civilian Data Entry Unit (CDE) being tested by Ontario Provincial Police in Wellington County.
Bowers-Peter, with a background in journalism as well marketing and development, could see parallels with her skillset, but it was her history of covering Provincial Offences Court and her relationships with municipal police service and OPP members that prompted her to give CDE a try.
After four years in the CDE Unit, the role of civilian Program Coordinator was created for Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington. The staffing of this position had historically been Wellington County OPP’s and she was keen to apply as it was a natural progression from her current role.
“When I looked at the job description, I felt like it was made for me,” said Bowers-Peter. The communication, marketing, and public engagement aspects of the program as well as the sensitive nature of Tip taking was not foreign to her. She dove into the role and learned everything she could about the local Crime Stoppers once she was named to the role in July 2014.
“I didn’t make any significant changes in the first year,” she recalls, “but there were a couple of things I wanted to explore right away.”
Once she was established, Bowers-Peter felt strongly about community engagement and recreated a student Crime Stoppers presentation. This was the foundation of a United Way grant which snowballed into updating all the Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) presentations. There are now five presentations offered by CSGW; Crime Stoppers 101, Crime Stoppers for Seniors, Student Crime Stoppers, Crime Stoppers & Business and Human Trafficking & Crime Stoppers. Demand for the presentations has grown steadily every year since. In 2019 Bowers-Peter logged 67 public presentations in addition to her other duties.
She dove into social media to create a presence for the program and make the public aware that there was a safe, anonymously method of reporting crime for those who did not want report directly to police. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube platforms were established or enhanced. Eventually the CSGW website was overhauled and became a current and effective presence online for those wanting to learn more about Crime Stoppers or wanting to report a crime. The work paid off as Tip volumes increased and public awareness grew.
Media partnerships were developed or enhanced, and broadcasters and hosts were pleased to see ongoing and committed engagement, with Bowers-Peter open to suggestions on customizing the content for their individual needs.
Bowers-Peter submitted CSGW for awards from the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers (OACS) and Crime Stoppers International (CSI) and was extremely successful, winning 33 accolades in 6 years. These include awards in radio and television categories as well as social media, website, creation of new programs and fundraisers. CSGW has been named to the Marla Moon Memorial Award of Excellence for its population category every year since 2015.
Coordinator Achievement (OACS 2019) and Paul D. Boudreau Coordinator of the Year (CSI 2020) were directed to Bowers-Peter. She also received a Commissioner’s Letter from OPP recognizing her work with CSGW in 2018.
“We are proud of these awards, because it demonstrates to the community that the work we are doing in Guelph Wellington is being recognized at a higher level. We are doing great things here and the public should feel confident that they are engaging with reputable organization,” she stated.
Bowers-Peter has reached beyond the boundaries of Guelph and the County of Wellington, to sit on the OACS Board of Directors. She has served in a number of capacities, and is presently the chair of the Technology and Communications Committee. As a result of that engagement, she was invited to sit on the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association, where she was then appointed the Chair of Communications. While her heart is still with CSGW, she is pleased to be able to use her skills to benefit other programs as well as the provincial and national bodies.
“I really believe we are stronger when we are all have the same tools and opportunities,” said Bowers-Peter, who is creating training modules for OACS for fellow coordinators, as well as investigators who will be handling Crime Stoppers tips. She is also assisting with online coordinator training to help individuals who are new to the role to have the same training virtually that they would receive during the annual provincial conference, currently suspended due to Covid-19.
By moving CSGW into a pro-active organization, and not just a reactive one, Bowers-Peter was able to use the platform for crime awareness. Illegal Dumping and Human Trafficking are two such examples. She also feels strongly about supporting Victim Services Wellington and Guelph Wellington Women In Crisis (GWWIC), stating that if the public can report a crime, they can provide closure for a victim. It is possible to prevent a crime from happening, if it is reported soon enough, she points out.
Bowers-Peter sits on the Leadership Table of the Guelph Wellington Action Council on Domestic Violence, Safe Communities Wellington County and Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy. This has resulted in collaborations where CSGW is positioned as supportive community agency as well as a logical option for an audience that may not be familiar with the idea of anonymously and confidential reporting crime.
Supporting other Crime Stoppers programs is a priority for her as well. Bowers-Peter initiated Coordinator meetings; bi-annual sessions that allow peers in Southwest Region the ability to connect, ask questions, find comradery, and ultimately support in a role that is varied from program to program. Both OPP and municipal support coordinators attend with enthusiasm.
“I really enjoy the challenges this role brings,” said Bowers-Peter. “There is always something that can be improved, there is always a question from another coordinator, and I really want this program to continue to evolve and be relevant. It makes such a difference.”
May 9-16 is National Police Week in Canada and USA.
This year 394 men & women lost their lives in the line of duty in USA. They are among 22,611 names on the US Police Memorial.
On May 13, 2021 at 8:00 pm (EDT) a candlelight vigil will pay tribute to these Fallen Heroes.
OPP Sergeant John Spence of the Haliburton Highlands Detachment is being celebrated for his dedication to policing, his family and his community by his peers.
May 9th-15th, 2021 is National Police Week. This is an annual celebration where the work of every day police personnel can be highlighted and celebrated. There are many untold stories out there, and this is one of them.
Earlier this year, John was nominated for a 2021 Police Association of Ontario Police Hero Award. His nomination was not eligible due to the requirement that the nominator be a community member and not a co-worker. The PAO were kind enough to forward the nomination to us here at the OPP Association, and we felt it was fitting to share this nomination publicly during Police Week.
The nomination reads as follows:
I am proud to not only nominated but to have served with Sergeant John Spence. Sergeant Spence is the perfect example of what a leader within the community is. John, myself and another officer where involved in a very serious incident in summer 2020. Knowing that I was alone and did not have any local support, John took me into his home with open arms. While spending time with John and his family I truly got to know the person John was. I couldn’t believe the number of people that stopped in for advice, and that on a day off John would stop in to check on a local teen and her family to make sure that they had access to the proper community resources, and when he saw they did not, he made the proper arrangements. All of this after going through a potentially life ending incident himself truly showed Johns true colours. At the end of the day award or no award I hope I can serve my community and my service like Sergeant John Spence.
The work of our members is often very difficult and done under very stressful conditions. We acknowledge that often the circumstances our members find themselves in while serving and protecting takes a toll on their health and well being, including their families. The OPP Association is immensley proud of the dedicated work and class that John and our members demonstrate each and every day. It is an honour for us to share this heartfelt story publicly.
Congratulations John on being recognized by your peers. Thanks to John and to all who serve and have served. Your service is appreciated.
This week is National Police Week across Canada and the USA. This year’s theme is Working Together to Keep our Communities Safe, which is a collaborative effort between police agencies and services, first responders, as well as social and community organizations.
The OPP Association is proud to represent the approximately 10,000 uniform and civilian members of the Ontario Provincial Police as their sole bargaining agent. We witness your dedication each and every day as public service providers who go above and beyond the call of duty. We want to take this opportunity to thank our members for your service, as well as all the supportive family members of our members who stand behind them every day. Our frontline members, running at minimum staffing levels, continue to work hours above and beyond to keep the public living in and visiting this province safe. Together we are stronger.
We are honoured to work with many community partners to achieve our community safety goals, and keep our members safe and healthy. Thank you to the many community partners who assist us regularly. There are too many partners to name everyone. During these uncertain times of the Covid-19 pandemic we thank our paramedic and fire department partners, and all of those partners in the medical community and front line workers who have been going above and beyond to ensure that our community remains safe. This week is also National Nursing Week. On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and members of the OPP Association we wish all nurses a Happy Nurses Week. Thank you to our nurses for your dedicated and tireless service.
Throughout the week we will be posting some celebrations of who we are and how we connect with our communities. We look forward to sharing our vision and success with our partners, and look forward to continued collaboration for community safety together throughout the province of Ontario.
Rob Stinson
President and CEO
Ontario Provincial Police Association
and the Board of Directors
Mental Health Week 2021 for us is Mental Health Month, is Mental Health Year… Every day, our priority is our members’ health and well being. Our Encompas Mental Health Wellness Program partners at Dalton Associates compiled some statistics below for us.
Mental health is a part of a person’s total health and wellness and at some point in our lives, each one of us will be affected by mental health challenges whether personally or through someone you know, and the risk is significantly higher for first responders. Let’s #GetReal about some facts on mental health:
– First responders experience PTSD 2 times the rate of the average population (Van Amerigen, 2008)
– An estimated 13% of first responders sought treatment for their mental health challenges (Bryant, R. A., Kenny, L., 2019)
– 11% of first responders have reported suicidal thoughts as a result of the job (Disaster Resource, 2016)
– First responders are at a 10.5% higher risk to develop a mental illness than the general population (Can J Psychiatry, 2017)
Encompas is here to support all active and retired members of the OPPA as well as their families. To learn more about Encompas and what we offer, please visit EncompasCare.ca.
Thank you to OPP Beyond The Blue for the initiative to inspire conversations of mental health and break the stigma with the campaign of our uniform members wearing green epaulets.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We are supporting by encouraging members to wear green epaulettes for the month, which have been approved by the OPP Commissioner for all members to wear. Pictured is OPP Association President Rob Stinson proudly wearing his green epaulettes pic.twitter.com/H1CZhUTFsd
— OPPA (OPP Association) (@OPPAssociation) May 1, 2021
The OPP Association is pleased with the decision of the OPP Commissioner to permit the wearing of ball cap style hats in addition to the standard issue forage cap. This will allow our members a practical option to the traditional cap, and at the same time allow our members who prefer the traditional cap to continue to wear it. We feel this gives our members comfort options for operational duty while still providing the option of the traditional cap for more formal duties.
President Rob Stinson – President and CEO Ontario Provincial Police Association
Please join the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation on Sunday May 2, 2021 at 11am ET as we pay tribute to those police officers in the province of Ontario who died in the line of duty. They are “Our Heroes In Life, Not Death”.
The Ontario Police Memorial Foundation will live broadcast the 22nd Annual Ceremony of Remembrance from Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A full professional quality broadcast was planned but had to be cancelled due to the Stay At Home Order limit of 5 people for outdoor gatherings in Ontario.
In lieu of gathering together in person to celebrate the lives of our fallen, viewers are encouraged to tune into the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation Facebook Live at 11am and follow along as the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation President, a representative of families, a piper and an officer to lay a single wreath will be live broadcasted from a cell phone to solemnly honour those who have paid the ultimate price while in service to their communities.
Itinerary
11am: OPMF President – Jason Tomlinson
11:05am: Guest Speaker – Brenda Orr – OPP ret., widow of honoured fallen OPP officer David Mounsey
11:15am Amazing Grace by Piper – Constable Hector MacDonald – Toronto Police Service
The link, once live, will be posted on this blog at CeremonyofRemembrance.ca/Live and it is appropriate to advise people wishing to watch to click on the blog link, or directly on the Facebook page hosting the Facebook Live at the link Facebook.com/HeroesInLife.
Individuals and organizations are encouraged to post videos and photos to their social media using the official hash tag for the event of #HeroesInLife.
Video message from OPP Association President and CEO Rob Stinson:
Video message from OPP Association Director and Ontario Police Memorial Foundation VP Mike Adair:
