20 years ago, when a person was suffering from depression, it was not always dealt with the way it is today. My interactions with law enforcement were generally not good experiences. However, there is one officer that stands out all these years later - Jeff Hahn. He took me to the hospital - I was quiet, expecting the worse. Once in a room, I sat in the chair, assuming he would stay in the hall. He did not. Instead, he came in, hopped up on the gurney and talked and talked. A little thing to most, but to me he reinforced there are people out there that care about you. 

Judith was our School Resource Officer years ago. We were lucky to have her serve our school community. She was eager to help, accessible to us when we needed her, and was a person of integrity.

There are not enough words and not enough time to completely describe the difference Monique has made to the youth in our community. I met Monique at a local Windsor high school. She was the liaison officer. Two of her high schools were in high risk neighbourhoods. Many of the students came from impoverished homes. Many of our students had drug, crime and mental health issues. Monique knew them all! She spent most lunches in the building making sure our students knew they were safe with her. She would sometimes give the kids her number so they could call her whenever they needed her. 

Dawn Neilly was the Community Police Constable for the Carlington Community the last three years. In my mind, this was a police officer who did their job to the best of their ability every day, no matter how difficult it was. Carlington is a diverse socio-economic community with residents who have varying issues. She treated everyone with respect and showed up at coffee time at the Caldwell Family Centre to talk to residents from the community, community events and worked to help the community turn a very unsavory park into one that has now become a gathering place for the local residents. 

Officer Maharaj works in Durham North (Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock Township). I am nominating him for the Community Role Model award because he truly demonstrates that he cares about the residents in Durham North. For example, Officer Maharaj, his wife (a retired police officer) and his two daughters prepared a Christmas dinner with all the fixings at home, and then delivered it to the retirement residence in Sunderland on Christmas Day. This officer and his family celebrated Christmas not at their home but at a retirement residence. His act of kindness and the time he spent with the residents made a difference, especially for those who did not have family to spend Christmas with. Also, his community engagement is remarkable. Officer Maharaj does coffee chats at various venues in Durham North.

We had our car quit in Ajax during 3:10-5:30 pm rush hour in a construction site while Christmas shopping and dropping gifts in Ajax, Ont. Another Constable first came on the scene as we had called for help. We were between Westney Rd and Highway #2. So anyone familiar with the area knows this is a busy spot at all times, plus there was construction. PC Torcivia came to replace the first set of constables. He was so kind. Placed an order for the tow truck. Actually got the construction crew to help move our car. Had lights signalling car problem. 

Jeffery Mclean embodies everything that it means to be a Police Officer within a small community. Jeffery set himself apart early on in his policing career, taking on the initiative of a crumbling D.A.R.E program and turning it into an incredible success that children within the community look forward to. Not only has his passion and dedication to duty and his service to the community changed the way the D.A.R.E program is seen, but it has also changed how the Shelburne Police Service is viewed.

Evan Harrison embodies what it means to be a community police officer - his dedication and passion can be seen daily in his work and I have witnessed it personally when he attended our 3rd Annual BeYOUth Mental Health Conference. PC Harrison attended the conference in Toronto and was a mentor to over 100 youth in attendance to gain strategies on how to cope with mental health in their daily lives. PC Harrison shared his personal story and was able to build positive relationships with the youth, empowering them and being an exceptional role model. 

I would like to nominate Constable Greg Stephenson for the Police Hero Community Role Model. Greg is in his 27th year of policing with the Thunder Bay Police Service. He is the Past president of their Association and is heavily involved in the community. Greg has been responsible for organizing the Thunder Bay Police Association's Cops for Cancer head shave fundraising event and has been the Chair of this event for over 20 years.

I would like to nominate Heather Lewis - she created the Greater Sudbury Police Services Museum, then moved on to be a specialist in the processing of video evidence. She also created a Spiritual Support Service for all Sudbury police personnel and is now an Association representative. She has taken countless secondary school students under her wing and treated them with care, compassion and given them excellent leadership. She is a terrific person who is positive and just helped raise almost $40,000 for Special Olympics. The GSPS is indeed very blessed to have Heather on staff.