THUNDER BAY – Having been born and raised in Thunder Bay, when Jason Bresele decided he wanted to become a police officer, his hometown was the only option.
“This is where I wanted to stay and this is the community I wanted to serve,” he said. “The fact that I am here now and get to do that, it is a dream come true.”
Bresele, along with Brandon Fennell and David Moore, were sworn in as constables with the Thunder Bay Police Service during a ceremony at the Thunder Bay Courthouse on Thursday.
Presided over by Justice Burton, the new recruits recited their oaths of service and were presented with their Ontario Police College certificates, badges, and warrant cards.
“I couldn’t be any prouder for myself and my fellow recruits,” Bresele said. “It’s been a long time and a long process and it’s a relief that it’s finally culminated and we are excited to get out there and do our best for the city.”
The recruits served as cadets with the police service for a year-and-a-half before being selected to attend the Ontario Police College. After completing the program, Bresele was selected as this year’s class valedictorian by his classmates, making him only the second officer recruited by the Thunder Bay Police Service to hold such an honour.
“I was honestly, truly humbled,” Bresele said. “The caliber of people who were there was incredible and to be selected to represent them and the college it was truly an experience I will never forget. I was honoured.”
“As a service, it definitely speaks to the caliber of recruits we have that we sent away and it really speaks to what he brings to the table in terms of his qualifications and personal attributes and what his peers saw in him in terms of representing his class,” added acting Thunder Bay Police Service chief, Sylvie Hauth.
According to Hauth, the number of officers recruited by the service differs from year to year, but with a wave of retirements expected in the coming years, larger intakes could be possible.
This September, as many as five officers could be recruited upon completion of the Ontario Police College program.
Hauth added that the police service continues to look at its recruitment efforts and as part of its organizational change project, to think outside the box in order to “diversify how we do recruitment,” Hauth said, “and making sure our service is representative of the community it serves.”
For the officers recruited on Thursday, Hauth said their lives are about to change, because it does for any individual who puts on the uniform.
“People see you differently,” she said. “There is an expectation that no matter what, you are an officer 24/7.”
With that comes a great deal of responsibility, Hauth said, and it is important for the recruits to recognize the difficulties of the job and to never hesitate to reach out for help.
“They are here to serve and protect, but the job does take its toll on you,” she said. “It is a difficult profession, so really to be able to reach out to their peers, their family, and be there to serve their community to the best of their ability.”
And that is exactly why Bresele wanted to become a police officer in Thunder Bay, to serve the people in his hometown.
“It all comes down to helping people,” he said. “From the very beginning, that’s why I started, I wanted to help my community and make it a better place hopefully for myself and my family and everybody who lives in the community.”
