THUNDER BAY – The Police Association of Ontario (PAO) has launched the seventh annual Police Services Hero of the Year Awards program, encouraging Ontarians to nominate police personnel in their communities who have gone above and beyond.
From February 1 – March 14, members of the public can nominate their local police heroes for one of three awards at PoliceHero.ca:
- On-Duty Difference Maker – Uniform/Sworn Police Officer (Officer(s) who has gone above and beyond the expectations of the job while on-duty)
- On-Duty Difference Maker – Civilian Police Service Employee (Civilian police service employee(s) who has gone above and beyond the expectations of the job while on-duty)
- Community Role Model (Police officer(s) or civilian police service employee(s) who has made a difference in their community while off-duty)
As a reminder, Civilian Police Service Employees include 9-1-1 dispatchers and communications personnel, court services personnel, forensics identification personnel, victim services units, special constables and many other important roles within a police service.
Last year, the awards program garnered almost 400 nominations from Ontarians. The stories of last year’s Police Services Hero of the Year award winners represent some of the finest individuals and teams that have chosen to dedicate their lives to the policing profession:
- Cst. Jennifer Landry, OPP: 2021 Community Role Model
- Cst. William Hall, Peel Regional Police: 2021 Community Role Model
- Erin Morrison, Communicator, Peel Regional Police: 2021 Civilian Police Service Employee
- Sgt. Steven Large, OPP: 2021 On-Duty Difference Maker – Uniform/Sworn Police Officer
“Ontario’s civilian police service employees and police officers are in our communities around the clock working hard to ensure we have safe communities in which we live, work and raise our families,” said PAO President Mark Baxter. “Throughout the pandemic, Ontario’s police personnel have been on the front lines, causing increased stress on them and their families. The PAO Police Hero awards is a great opportunity for the public to acknowledge the hard-working efforts of our police personnel.”
Ontarians are encouraged to submit their nominations online at PoliceHero.ca or via direct message on social media (Facebook or Twitter). Nominations will be accepted until March 14, 2022, and award winners will be formally announced during the PAO’s Annual General Meeting in June.