For Immediate Release: June 18, 2009

(Toronto, ON) – Staff Sergeant Robert A. Davis of the Six Nations Police Service will receive the 2009 Gimborn Scholarship co-sponsored by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and the International Police Association, Ontario Region (IPA). The Scholarship provides an Ontario police officer with an opportunity to travel to the IPA’s Conference Centre at Gimborn near Cologne, Germany, and participate in a one of the IPA’s specialized policing seminars.

“Staff Sergeant Davis has distinguished himself over his 19 years in policing and is a very worthy recipient of this scholarship,” said OACP President Chief Daniel Parkinson (Cornwall Community Police Service). “The OACP and IPA share a deep commitment to supporting outstanding police officers in their professional development. Having an opportunity to travel to Germany and work with police officers from around the world will be a tremendous opportunity for Staff Sergeant Davis”.

Staff Sergeant Robert Davis is currently seconded to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from Six Nations Police Service and serves as Police Learning Coordinator at the Canadian Police College (CPC) in Ottawa. He started his policing career with Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Police and has also served with the RCMP. In 2006, Inspector Davis was chosen by the First Nations Chiefs of Police to be the Association’s inaugural representative at the CPC within the Professional Development Centre for Aboriginal Policing. He is currently completing his Masters in Business Administration through Cape Breton University.

“We are pleased to be able to offer the Gimborn Scholarship again this year. Gimborn is a unique teaching and conference facility run by the IPA in Germany,” said IPA Ontario Region President, Marv Southcott. “Each year, some 2,500 participants from all over the world take advantage of the seminars offered at IBZ Gimborn. They offer a unique perspective on police-related social subjects as drugs, juvenile delinquency, organized crime, road safety, violence, European co-operation, and peace-keeping missions.”

Southcott noted that in today’s shrinking world, crime no longer respects country borders. That’s why attendance at Gimborn offers the scholarship winner an insight to some of the problems faced by police officers in other countries and some of the solutions they have developed to combat crime.

Staff Sergeant Davis will be presented with the Gimborn Scholarship at the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police’s 58th Annual Conference and Global Showcase (www.oacpconference.on.ca) in Sudbury on June 22.

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The International Police Association

The International Police Association (IPA) is the largest police organization in the world with over 300,000 members in 63 countries around the globe. Its aims are to unite in service and friendship all active and retired members of the law enforcement community.

The IPA strives to enhance the image of police in its member nations and to facilitate international co-operation through friendly contacts between members. The purpose of the Association is strictly cultural, social, recreational, and educational. At no time does the Association take part in any manner of departmental policy, discipline, or unionism.  More information can be found at the IPA Canada website at www.ipa.ca.

Castle Gimborn is the conference and education centre of the IPA. Located 30 miles east of Cologne, Gimborn provides seminars on policing related subjects, mostly in German. Some of the courses are conducted in English and the Gimborn Scholarship will be selected from one of these. Each year approximately 2,500 participants take advantage of the facilities offered in Gimborn. This is an excellent opportunity for one Ontario police officer to interface with their international peers.  For more information on Castle Gimborn, please visit www.ibz-gimborn.de/homegb.htm.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police

The Police Association of Ontario, formed in 1933, complemented the Chief Constables’ Association of Canada in presenting public demands to the Ontario government. In 1944, the Police Association of Ontario's perspective started to change. There was more emphasis now placed on police rights and working conditions, as opposed to emphasizing the structure of the police service. By 1951, Ontario Police Chiefs, identifying a need to re-establish themselves as a recognized police interest-group on a provincial level, founded the Chief Constables’ Association of Ontario.

This Association gradually evolved, opening membership to senior officers and police managers. The Association’s influence was a significant factor in the establishment of the Ontario Police College in 1963, an initiative that enhanced the organization’s prestige and growth. A formal name change to the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) was adopted in 1965.

The OACP has more than 1,000 members, who are divided into five categories: Active, Honorary, Life, Associate, and Affiliate. The OACP’s members maintain a global perspective by going beyond provincial issues to address national and international concerns. For more information about OACP, please visit www.oacp.on.ca.