Exceptional Police Work Honoured by the Community
An off-duty DRPS officer jumped into action when a fellow gym member fell to the ground after a cardiac event at a fitness club. A team of DRPS officers sprung into action following the armed robbery of an IDA pharmacy, ultimately leading the arrest of the suspects. These are just some of the amazing police responses highlighted at the 20th annual Police Appreciation and Awards Night (PADAN) that was held last night.
This year’s theme was “20 Years of Excellence” and celebrated a significant milestone – this event has been highlighting the extraordinary achievements of our members for 20 years. The packed house at Deer Creek Golf & Convention Centre in Ajax was moved to tears and filled with pride in the women and men of Durham Regional Police Service. Ken Shaw was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
The Co-chairs of the community organizing committee, Nancy Shaw and Bob Pinkney, thanked every member of the police service for making a difference in the community. They also acknowledge the corporate sponsors who make the event possible. More than $1.5 million has been raised over the past 20 years and the proceeds are reinvested into educational, community safety and outreach programs involving police officers.
The awards presented to members had an emotional impact on the assembled guests:
-Paying it Forward: Cst. Jeff Tucker was recognized for life saving measures he took at a local gym while he was off duty. A member of the gym collapsed without a pulse and he provided CPR that thankfully revived the male with the help of the AED. Jeff had a similar experience happen to him almost three years ago during a hockey game and fellow off-duty officers used the AED to save Jeff. Both Jeff and the male he saved are thankful to have seen several more holidays and birthdays with their families.
-IDA Robberies: In March 2022, there were several IDA pharmacy robberies across the GTA. Proactive patrolling of IDA pharmacies in Durham Region resulted in a DRPS officer spotting the suspect vehicle. Through coordinated efforts of Air1, 911/Communications and officers on the ground – the suspects were arrested, preventing further robberies and providing relief to the community.
A special (and surprise) presentation of the Mike Ewles Community Builder Award was made to Cst. Darryl Rice for his exemplary work in crime prevention and tireless efforts to assist the communities he serves. Darryl gives selflessly of his time to educate residents on crime prevention and has run the DRPS Food and Toy Drive for the last six years. The special award recognizes someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty by building partnerships and connections between the police service and the community it serves. Cst. Rice makes dozens of presentations in the community about crime prevention and bullying every year. His goal is to educate the public about protecting their property and to empower youth to stand up against bullying.
The Kevin McAlpine Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a lifelong, retiring or retired officer who has spent at least five years as a sworn member of DRPS. The award recognizes someone who most exemplifies the characteristics of dedication, enthusiasm, leadership and ethical behaviour. This was awarded to (ret) Chief Todd Rollauer, who was the ultimate team player throughout the organization for 36 years.
PADAN’s original co-chairs Moe Pringle and Blair McArthur were also recognized for their vision, passion and dedication to this event and the community.
Another highlight of the night was a speech from Chief for a Day winner Kaiyah Jarrett, a Grade 5 student St. Anne Catholic School in Oshawa. She delivered her award-winning essay that focused on officer health and safety.
The DRPS would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the Police Appreciation Dinner and Awards Night organizing committee for recognizing our members and for the contributions they have made over the past 20 years to the community outreach efforts by the DRPS.
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