The Moose Jaw Police Service held its fifth annual awards ceremony on May 29 in council chambers and handed out more than a dozen awards to individuals and groups.
The awards recognize community and police service members who have made a significant contribution to the community and its well-being. The awards include:
- Chief’s Commendation, which is presented to police personnel or residents whose exceptional actions resolved a critical situation;
- Community Safety, which is presented to residents whose contributions have helped make Moose Jaw a safer community;
- Innovation, which is presented to police personnel and residents who have introduced innovative and effective practices to the service;
- Community Building, which is given to police personnel and other agency personnel whose efforts as a team were effective in resolving a major case or increasing community safety;
- Teamwork, which is given to police personnel and other agency personnel whose efforts as a team were effective in resolving a major case or increasing community safety.
Chief’s Commendation
Citizen Brittany Kilgour received this award for attempting to resuscitate a young man who was experiencing a heart attack on Sept. 14, 2018. She kept working until emergency personnel arrived; however, the man died in hospital.
Commissionaire Kayla Gottselig and Constables Murray Rice and Evan Schwabe received this award for responding to the medical needs of a high-risk prisoner — he had harmed himself — in custody on Jan. 9, 2019. Their efforts saved the prisoner’s life.
Constables Melonie Ziffle and Rod Zeorb were given this award for responding to a call about a woman who jumped from a bridge and onto the CPR main yard on March 1, 2018. They provided medical assistance, but the woman did not survive.
Citizens Carley Manz and Jess Blair received this award for pulling a suicidal woman off a bridge on Feb. 17, 2019 and then holding her until police arrived.
Community Safety
The Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD) chapters from A.E. Peacock, Central Collegiate, Riverview Collegiate and Vanier Collegiate received this award for their efforts to make the community safe. This includes combatting impaired driving and distracted driving. One of their notable activities was participating in a high-visibility check-stop during a particularly cold day.
The chapters have also worked with police on positive ticketing, held information sessions for students about marijuana, and gave presentations to peers while using beer goggles, which simulate being impaired.
Peacock SADD members include advisors Roxanna Gadd-Frey and Dahinda Trusty, and students Matt Flegel, Gracie Farago, Skylar Ackerman, Olivia Arndt, Paige Pierce, and Emily Mackenzie.
Central SADD members include advisor Janis Schultz and students Brooklynn Nant, Ashlyn McElree, Mafatta Dukuly, Hailee Gbelia, Venera Berisha, Maria Ahmad, Lorez Cossette, Maddison Landrie, and Marcetta Wells.
Riverview SADD members include advisor James Irving and students Natalie Moggey, Kenika Adrian, and Ryland Huchinson.
Vanier SADD members include advisors Sue Leptich and Sharol Murdock, and students Dennis Calubia, Chey Luch, and Chelsey Degagne.
Innovation award
Kelli Lemstra received this award for helping create the phone app, The Daily Difference, for youths to help connect them with mental health professionals and police services.
Dr. Mark Lemstra was given this award because his company, Alliance Health, has developed several programs between 2016 and 2018 to help make the community healthier. He has also worked with the police service to be proactive and prevent health issues among members before those problems become serious or even arise.
Teamwork award
The South Central Child Abuse Team was given this award for its work in preventing child abuse and conducting investigations into this area. Team members include Kelly Baxter, Sgt. Tim Schwartz, Kody Morland, Ryan Lawrence, Sheldon MacNaughton, Blair Torganrud, and Devon Oleniuk.
The Police and Crisis Team (PACT) provides assistance to residents who require mental health support. This team reduces the need for police to respond to certain situations, while it also reduces the need for people to be taken to hospital. The group is composed of mental health professionals, social workers and officers working together in the same office. Team members include Mary Lee Booth, Terry Hutchinson, Kirsten Clark, Tanya Morland, Shawn Mohle, Devon Oleniuk, and Rick Johns.
Apartment building manager William Cowlin and police Supt. Ted Munro received the Teamwork award during a hostage situation on Feb. 8, 2019. Moose Jaw police were searching for a suspect on a Canada-wide warrant and for crimes in Moose Jaw.
When they found the man, he ran into an apartment building and barricaded himself into a suite with three hostages. He eventually let go two of the hostages but kept the third.
The suspect told police he wanted to die by cop, or if that was unsuccessful, he would kill himself.
The RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) was brought in to help, with Munro acting as the incident commander.
Cowlin worked with police by letting them into the building, which contributed to the tactical success of the operation.
The RCMP ERT eventually managed to get to the suspect and captured him successfully.
Community building
The Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association received this award for its efforts in promoting Aboriginal culture and activities in Moose Jaw. Lori Deets received the award on behalf of the group’s board members.
The New Southern Plains Métis Local 160 was given this award for promoting Métis culture, tackling housing issues, providing education, establishing elders’ groups, and creating displays of Métis culture.
