Previous Heroes Beyond the Badge Award Winners

We honour the outstanding work of Constables Jessie Oldfield, Kathleen Petersen, Melinda Mantle and Claudia Bednarczyk, part of a team of police officers from the Toronto Police Service, for their leadership in organizing and expanding the Young Women Empowerment Workshop, a vital initiative aimed at educating and inspiring female youth in the Malvern and greater Scarborough communities.

Originally launched before the COVID-19 pandemic in response to concerns about the trafficking of young women in the Malvern area, the Young Women Empowerment Workshop was developed collaboratively by officers, the Community Crisis Response Program (CCRP), and local partners. After a temporary hiatus, the program resumed post-pandemic with an expanded format — and has continued to grow in both scope and impact. 

We honour Hamilton Police Service Detective Constable Robert Glanfield in recognition of his role and dedication to The Streets to Wilderness Algonquin Mentoring Program for Youth (SWAMPY).

SWAMPY is a Hamilton Police Service initiative which began in 2008 with the goal of building and strengthening relationships between police officers and youth within the community. Detective Constable Glanfield’s compassion, dedication, inclusivity, professionalism and collaboration demonstrates policing excellence, as well as commitment to community safety and well-being.

We honour North Bay Police Service Constable Sue Solman in recognition of her advocacy and compassion for mental health, both in her own service and her community.

Constable Solman was one the officers assigned to the Mobile Crisis Response when it was first initiated in North Bay and has since taken an invested role in that project, setting the bar for how the program should run. She advocated and promoted the HealthIM app (software which supports first responders during emergency mental health crisis calls), and In addition to helping the most vulnerable members of the North Bay community, she holds space for other officers to come and talk out things they encounter on the road.

We honour Ontario Provincial Police Constable Keith Lindley in recognition of his exceptional service and dedication to keeping community members safe. 

When a citizen was involved in a single-vehicle motor vehicle collision on an Ontario highway. PC Lindley stayed with the family until an on-duty OPP officer arrived to take over the scene. He assisted with towing the vehicle and provided direction on where to go to report the incident. Despite being off-duty and having his personal time interrupted, PC Lindley indicated that his main concern was the safety of the family and getting them to a safe location.  

We honour Toronto Police Service Detective Sergeant Michael Palermo and Police K-9 Luke in recognition of their exceptional service and dedication to keeping community members safe.

In late October 2023, an elderly individual suffering from dementia and other conditions went missing. Within minutes, D/Sgt. Mike Palermo and his K-9 partner, Luke, responded with accurate assessments, clear communications, and efficient deployment. D/Sgt. Palermo persisted through multiple challenges and rough terrain, and within an hour, the person was located. D/Sgt. Palermo rendered aid and coordinated paramedic response, effectively saving the citizen's life. 

We honour York Regional Police Detective Constable Jonath Chow for his positive and meaningful contributions to the Asian/Chinese community in York Region and Greater Toronto Area (GTA). D/Cst. Chow’s initiatives have allowed YRP to ensure citizens feel safe and secure through excellence in policing.

Through various community partnerships, D/C Chow provided YRP the opportunity to educate and inform the Asian/Chinese community about intimate partner violence, sexual assault, crimes against children, as well as on property related crimes and prevention. He also recruited representatives from social service agencies in York Region to inform residents about assistance available to them. These high quality policing services ensure that York Region residents feel that they belong.  

We honour Cherri Greeno, on behalf of all members involved with the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Backpack Challenge for helping children and their families throughout Waterloo Region have the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom. 

Under the leadership of Cherri Greeno, Director of Corporate Affairs, WRPS’s annual Backpack Challenge involves countless service members every year. The Challenge encourages residents to purchase new backpacks, lunch bags, school supplies or gift cards to be donated to children and families in need. More than 10,000 backpacks have been collected over the past five years, along with thousands of dollars in gift cards and school supplies. All the items are donated to youth organizations and children in Waterloo Region to ensure they had an exciting back-to-school experience and are prepared for the school year.

We honour the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) of Grenville County for their service. The team includes two officers and two registered nurses - PC Annie Collins, PC Dave Holmes, Kim Brouwer, and Shawna Marshall. The MCRT responds to live calls, helps to de-escalate situations involving individuals with mental health and addiction and conducts crisis intervention training. Over several months, the team worked with the family of a 13-year-old who suffered from mental health and behavioural challenges. With the help of MCRT, the family was able to secure I:I staffing and an on-site behaviourist. Since February 2021, MCRT has responded to nearly 500 calls - helping the Grenville OPP build stronger relationships with community agencies and assist those in crisis.

We honour Detective Constable Cristobal Brea of the Hamilton Police Service’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit. While investigating a tip received by the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, Detective Constable Brea identified a suspect who worked and volunteered with children. By following up on successive clues, Detective Constable Brea determined the suspect was directly involved in child exploitation.

Through sharp observation and careful investigation, Detective Constable Brea helped apprehend an especially dangerous predator and protect vulnerable individuals in his community.

Halton Regional Police Service
Victim Services Unit
We honour the staff and volunteers in the Victim Services
Unit (VSU) of the Halton Regional Police Service. When the
living situation of a local man and his three granddaughters
became dangerous and unlivable, they were forced to stay at
a shelter. The VSU team went above and beyond to resolve
their complex case. The VSU completely overhauled the
home using resources from within the community. Thanks
to their extraordinary efforts, this family is finally back safe
in their home.

Fallen Heroes
The death of an officer deeply affects their family, their
friends, anyone they serve with, as well as their entire
community. On September 12, 2022, Toronto Police
Constable Andrew Hong was tragically ambushed while on
duty. Two days later, York Regional Police Service Constable
Travis Gillespie died in a head-on traffic collision while on
his way to work. The OACP and OnStar honour the sacrifice
of these two Heroes Beyond the Badge.

We honour Constable Darrell Rivers of the Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) for spearheading his department’s first Mooz Akinonmaaget Maa Aki, or Moose Hunt. As GSPS Indigenous Liaison Officer, Constable Rivers saw an opportunity to help Indigenous youth build positive relationships with GSPS Officers and delve into their own heritage. The youth spent a weekend with officers from GSPS, connecting to traditional Anishnawbek values and learning about hunting, firearms safety, first aid, and more. The program continues this year with more officers, more mentors, and more opportunities for Indigenous youth to learn about safety, gratitude, and respect.

Most people run away from danger, but not Constable Nolan Di Diomete - our May Heroes Beyond the Badge award winner. When he saw a fast-travelling plume of dark smoke moving across the highway, he raced toward the cries for help and was able to save the lives of residents living in an encampment of wooden cabins. We are so grateful and honoured to have such a courageous hero representing the Waterloo Regional Police Service.

This April, we would like to congratulate Dr. Dalit Weinberg and Dr. Kyle Handley - our Heroes Beyond the Badge award winners. Through their advocacy for mental wellness, they have made a positive shift in their work culture and are helping shape the approach to mental health within York Regional Police. We are so thankful they are putting their knowledge, skills and tireless energy into making their community a better place.

Thank you to Constable Farzad Ghotb and Constable Mustafa Popalzai of the Toronto Police Service for creating Project Hope. Because of their kind and caring hearts, the city of Toronto now has a way to help Afghan refugees settle down in Canada. With the assistance of their division and community agencies, they have delivered food and clothing to those hoping for a better life. Thank you for everything you have done to help make our communities a brighter place. 

February’s Heroes Beyond the Badge award winner is 911 Communications Supervisor Megan Petzel, Thunder Bay Police Service. Her team recognizes her outstanding leadership skills in their unit and appreciates how she always takes notice of other people’s contributions and achievements. Most recently, she helped locate an unconscious young woman who was new to the city and monitored the situation until First Responders arrived. We thank Megan for helping make our community a safer place!

It was easy to choose Sergeant Karen Hunte, Toronto Police Service, as January's OACP award winner. Years ago, she was involved in a horrific case involving a three-year-old girl, and throughout the child's recovery, she kept in close contact with her and found ways to boost her spirits when times were tough. Over the past nine years, Sgt. Hunte has developed a relationship with the child and always makes sure that the girl feels special and loved. We couldn't be more proud of Sgt. Hunte's compassion, efforts, and commitment to the people around her.

We recognize your exceptional service and thank you for all you do to keep our communities safe and secure!

Staff Sergeant Kim Manuel, St. Thomas Police Service, goes above and beyond in her law enforcement role, one of many reasons why she is our first honoree for this award. Not only does she protect her community, Staff Sgt. Manuel serves as our Law Enforcement Torch Run Coordinator and has organized numerous events over the years. She has even assisted in replacing an Olympian's stolen bike. We are proud and grateful to have her on our force.

We recognize your exceptional service and thank you for all you do to keep our communities safe and secure.