Thank you Strathmore

Detachment Commander, Strathmore RCMP  

 

As the Detachment Commander and a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police I wanted to say “thank you” to the community of Strathmore and area citizens who recently have gone out of their way to express their appreciation for the RCMP members in Strathmore Detachment and police officers in general across our country. 

In my 24 years as a member of the RCMP, I have never seen such gracious and kind gestures from the general public and people we swear to protect as police officers, as I have in the last week or so. All thanking the police for their service and duty to “Serve and Protect.”

There have been many gestures in the past week and a half that have included numerous flowers, five mini candle lights and potted plants being placed at the base of the Canadian Flag pole outside the Strathmore Detachment. Flowers dropped off at the front counter, numerous cards, letters and even one card with a drawing by a young child of two police officers in Red Serge, saluting the Canadian Flag at half mast, while holding flowers and crying with their heads bowed (attached). On the top of the page is written “R.I.P. – Cst. David Ross, Cst. Fabrice Georges Gevaudan and Cst. Douglas James Larche”

 In the last week and a half, since the tragedy in Moncton, N.B. many people in Strathmore and across the country have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for police officers and first responders in many ways. Many of these flowers, letters, cards have been dropped off with the people remaining anonymous and not wanting to be recognized. 

One citizen had just got out of hospital and was recovering, but came to the Strathmore Detachment and dropped off a card saying, “from one grateful member of this community of Strathmore that you do your jobs so well. I am proud to be a Canadian and have the best police force in the world helping ensure my safety. Thank-you and God Bless.”

I have personally had 15-20 individuals of the public come up to me in the past week or so and says, “thank you for what you do” and shake my hand. I know many, if not all, our officers in Strathmore have experienced this in the past week and a half.

I wanted to make sure I thanked those people, many who wanted to remain anonymous, that have expressed their thanks and condolences for our members the past week and a half. It is something I have never experienced in my career with the RCMP, and it has been very touching. I am getting a little choked up just writing this letter, while reading (for the third or fourth time) all the cards and letters we have received in the last week or so.

I know that most people in our communities appreciate and recognize what police officers, first responders and their families go through every day and shift they work. But the outpouring of personal thanks and appreciation from the citizens of Strathmore area and across the country is very touching.

As a senior member of the RCMP, one thing I made sure I mentioned to the junior police officers I worked with in the past was to advise them that if they wanted or needed thanks for the job they do they shouldn’t be a police officer. Generally it is a thankless job. I am glad to say that after 24 years I have been proven wrong. It is an honour to be a member of the RCMP, and to work with such brave, strong, caring members of the RCMP who put their community and the citizens they serve ahead of themselves on a regular basis.

Thanks you to all those citizens who said thanks to our police officers in Strathmore and across the country. Thanks you to all our citizens who support the police and first responders (Fire Departments and Ambulance Service personnel) who regularly put themselves in harms way to keep our communities safe and help our citizens in their time of need.