Trigger warning as this article briefly covers topics relating to self-harm and hostage situations
THUNDER BAY — For one provincial police officer, going from big city money and glam on Bay Street in Toronto to policing in rural northern communities was a significant change, but a sought-after one.
Provincial Constable Joel Eppinghaus is becoming more recognizable through the OPP's Northwest region Facebook page. He frequently posts videos and updates on incidents that he attends.
This reporter had the unique opportunity to ride along with the officer during a portion of his night shift to see what provincial police are facing for the region of Thunder Bay.
In a previous life, Eppinghaus was in the advertising game in downtown Toronto, but it wasn't what he had envisioned for himself.
"I felt a deep sense of emptiness and lack of purpose in my life," he said.
"This desire for purpose was only magnified through my volunteer work with Toronto Shelter Movers, where I witnessed firsthand the struggles and challenges faced by individuals trying to escape violent domestic situations."
Eppinghaus knew he could use his superior communications skills elsewhere, so he made the bold choice of leaving behind big-city work for a career in policing in Northwestern Ontario.
Although he has only been with the OPP for seven years, Eppinghaus spent the first six years of his career in the northern communities of Red Lake and Pikangikum.
Time spent in the small northern communities gave the officer some "unique perspective on policing in a close-knit community."
"Despite the population of only 4,200 people, I found value in the personalized approach to law enforcement that small-town policing requires."
As his one-year anniversary in Thunder Bay approaches, Eppinghaus spoke about the similarities to policing in Thunder Bay and small communities.
"No matter the size of the community, the principles of community policing and connection with residents remain vital.
"Whether it's doing general patrol in the small village of Nolalu or speed enforcement along the Trans Canada Highway, everyone is respectful and appreciative to see police presence in our communities."
When he was promoted to detective constable in Pikangikum and was working as a court officer, Eppinghaus applied for more specialized teams within the OPP.
"I applied for the provincial liaison team, which is kind of a mediation between protests and Indigenous parties and building relationships with the First Nations and beyond."
While in Red Lake, the officer was then accepted to the crisis negotiation program with the OPP.
He said the added training coincided with his background in advertising when it comes to active communication.
"Coming from a background in advertising and presenting for multi-million-dollar clients, coming into a role as a crisis negotiator, you're actively listening, you're building rapport with individuals whether they have mental health diagnoses or maybe they're wanted on a warrant."
The officer said as a negotiator, you work with multiple police units as they arrive on a scene and rely on the first responders to gather information to work off of.
Eppinghaus said sometimes they arrive on a scene, and it's someone who's barricaded themselves and has "taken a defensible position."
There is also a fair share of mental health calls that, as a negotiator, he contends with.
"Typically, family members will call in [because] they received a text message from one of their loved ones and they have concerns. We'll show up, and a lot of the times, you know, you do a door knock, you talk to them, and they come with you to the hospital.
"Of course, those unique circumstances where they don't answer the door, they're screaming at you through the door, and they say they have a weapon or a knife. Now it's become a barricade."
Eppinghaus said that's when negotiations start.
"You're going to call in, see what's going on with that person, listen to them, build rapport. At the end of the day, it's all about them.
"It's not about the police. It is about public safety and the safety of that person inside the residence, but at the end of the day, it's about that person."
The officer noted throughout the ride-along that he's encountered some of the same people on the job more than once, and their interactions have generally been positive.
One prime example that happened organically during this particular evening was when the officer pulled over a pickup truck, and it was a driver he'd encountered before on the road.
He and the driver had a brief conversation about their actions on the road, with the driver leaving questioning if they'd "see him again" in a similar situation.
Eppinghaus said he hoped not - with a smile, and he wished them a safe rest of their night.
He shared that often, community members provide police with tips on other activities that they might not be aware of.
"It's nice to be wanted in your area and to be appreciated," Eppinghaus said.
During the evening, some of the on-duty officers participated in a short RIDE program on the Balsam Street off-ramp, which all the drivers passed.
It was during that time when a call came in for an iPhone crash notification located out past Dog Lake Road.
Turning on lights and sirens, Eppinghaus and another officer responded to the call. They used their radios to communicate with dispatch and gain more information before arriving at an estimated rural location.
At first, dispatch couldn't get in touch with the owner of the iPhone, but Eppinghaus was eventually able to speak to them over the phone.
On their way into town, it turns out that the iPhone owner accidentally dropped their phone. This triggered it to send a crash notification to local authorities.
While the call turned out to be an accident, the officer wanted to meet up with them to make sure everything was OK.
After meeting up, Eppinghaus relayed back to dispatch that he had spoken with the driver.
The person involved was appreciative of the officer's concern and thanked the constable for his time.
It's that level of due diligence and dedication to the badge and safety of others that Eppinghaus prides himself on.
After that interaction, the cruiser returned to the detachment, and the ride-along came to an end.
It should be appreciated that even though this ride-along was a relatively subdued evening, there was never a dull moment.
From performing traffic stops along the highways to setting up a RIDE program and attending an incident — officers with Thunder Bay OPP perform a wide variety of tasks throughout their shifts.
