I would like to nominate Brent Burnside of the Niagara Regional Police Service. The night I met Officer Burnside, I had a plan to commit suicide. Officer Burnside went above and beyond his job that night. He took the time to listen to what had upset me to get me to the point where I had wanted to commit suicide. The entire time, he appeared caring and showed compassion towards me. 

Due to that, I found it easier to trust that I could tell him what was going on. Officer Burnside eventually convinced me to go with him to go see a doctor and get the help I needed. Officer Burnside changed my view on police officers for what he did that night. Since the incident approximately 5 years ago, I have gotten help, have gone back to school, graduated and now I have a job I love. Without him I wouldn’t be where I am today.

The second time I have seen Officer Burnside go above and beyond was when he pulled over to help a elderly man who slid off the road and into the grassy part of the Tim Horton's property during a snow storm. He checked to make sure the man was okay and got his vehicle out and back on the road. I have never seen anything negative come from him whether I was in crisis, watching him help a member of the community or stopping by Tim Horton's for a coffee. He always takes the time to have a conversation and connect with members of the community.