municipal poltw, fm or EMS services, the POESM is eliiibie g& to those peace officers employed by federal or provincial crganlzations. This means thet special constables employed by Durham Regional Pollce staffing the five courts in Durham Region are ineligible to receivethe award. Likehiie, municipal by-law and parking enforcement officers are also ineligible to receive this m%nal honour, even though they are all peme officers.

Peace officers working for municipal organizatians an; ineligible because theorder in coundl creating the medal stipuIated only pea= offcers employed by five organiza1C~ns were automflmily ellgibb to reseke the award: Ganada Border Services Agency; Repartmemf of Gitizenshjp and ttnm@ration; Department of the Environment; Depargnenf of fkhwies and Oorrans; Ptyks Canada Agency. The order alao created an advlsory council made up of one represmtathce fiom each of the lkted organizations whocan make reammend&ns on who is ellgmle Tor the award as long as they are employed by a federal or provinohl organization.

So far, the advisory committee has approved sheriffs o f f i ~ r s *om Alberta, British Columbia and ManEcba, as well as spe0[al constables empl~yed by the Ontario Pmvinalal Polioa, but the honour b denied to special obnstables working for Durham Regbnal Poitw, All do the samejob trarrSportmg prkoners and provlding courl seourity in federal and provincial courV~ot~ses En fheir r w p d v e provinces. A faot, Durham Regional Pclioespecial constables often wo& sid&hy%Ide wim fheir saunterparts w ih the OPP. The differen@? Those other peace ofncers work tor a provlnclai organization while Durham Rqional Police is a munblpal servtoe.

This is a doubke standad &at has no basis in terns of law or any generally accepted notion about who or what a peaw officer is. The Criminal Code of Galwda -the highest Wute governing law enforcement in the country - defines a peaw officer as (RS., C.G-34. S.I,Ch . - police offlcer, bailiff, constable, or other ~erson emdived for the reservation and maintenance of the ~ubllc Deace or for the service or execution of civil arocess.

Furthermore, Ganadian courts have ruled on several occasions that the deflnion of Peace O h r includes by-law officers and animal control officers -most notably in 20UO (Rv. Turko]. Nowhere in the critninal code, or In any co& decision, is there a distinction made between peace officers who work for a federal, provincial or muni~ipai organtzMon.

The special constables employed by Durham Regional Pollce transport up to fifty prisoners per day and provide court security in three courts in Oshawa and two in Whitby. They also execute court orders and help administer court opemtions in ail courthouses. The duties performed by these special constables are the same dutles performed by special constables acroso the country.

At the inaugural presentatiQn of the POESM, Governor General Michaelle dean sald, *Canadians are proud of our nation's open and welcoming nalure:' Yet this honour is denied to some swom peace officers simply because they work for a muni~ipai foroe rather than a federal or provlnciat service. This doesn't seem to be in keeping with the Governor General's words, or the spirlt of the National Honours System.

Special constables and by-law enforcement officers across Canada play a large and imporient role in keeping the public peace and the administration of iustice and should be honoured for fheir work with an award such as the POESM.

On behalf of all special constables working in Durham Region and across Canada. I ask that you write a letter to the director of the Chancellory of Honours (Gabriella D. Lappa, Director of Honoun. 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, KIA OAl) urging the advisory committee to reconsider the eligibility criteria for the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal. If the criteria's wording were changed from a v other federal or ~rovincial oraanization that emdovs aeace officers to anv other qovernment oraanitation that em~lovs Deace officers, then ALL Canadian

peace officers could be justly recognized for the work they do and the conhibution they make to the preservation and maintenance of the public peace in Canada.

Thank you for your consideration and we hope you will assist by adding your supporkto broaden the eliibtlity requirement to be inclusive rather than excluding thousands of worthy indivtduals Worn recognition.

Yours My,

Spoial Constable Edo van Belkom Peel Regional Police Granvl1la and Davis Courthouse 7755 Huronfario Strset

LCST OF SUPPORTERS

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMMT

y Schellenberger, MP Perth - ~el l in '~ton Presbn, MP Eldn - Middlesex - London y Devolin, MP HBliburton - Kawartba Lakes - Brock >hen Woodworth, MP Kitchener Centre id Wuinty, MP Oftawa South a Stsnton, MP Sincoe North Raitt, MP Habn

k Hafland, MP Ajex - Pickering A~bmaht, MP Kitchener - Conestoga y Mnler, MP Bmee - Grey - Owen Sound : Dykstra, MP St. Catharines c Layton, MP Taranto-Danfarth McGoteman, MP Brant

hRario Silva, MP Davenport Lauzon, MP Stormt - Dundas South -Glengarry

+I Kramp, MP Prlnce Edward - Hastings Gomartin, MP Wmdsor - Tecumseh ~ri i Belanger, MP Ottawa - Vanier thyden, MP Yo* - Centre

3 Brown. NIP Leeds - Grenville m Wilfert, MP Richmond Hill >Id Afbmeht, MP Wtchener - Conestoga I Dewar, MP Ottawa Centre min Ratansi, MP Don Valley East id Tilwn. MP Dufferin - Catedon ty Duncan, MP Etabicoke North : Norlock, MP Northumberland - Quinte West 1 Pearson, MP London North Centre

1 Caonls, h%lP Se-arboraugh &n&e QEtE, NPI Durham ePfQl@Et&, KfiP Den W e y &st e , W L o n b - k m h w

B M k MF - Springdale r, m liZIIirrIdOW w

I T@&, DeaP Y k W h - Weston Ww&.Wf& @P-BmmaBa -Gore - Malton ' i a t l e ~ ~ ~ , . ,FSq.Wraugh Southwest

Wq, MtpGMtviIia m &a$ Mi? Bemptrm:W 1 @ ~ ~ ' ; R B P ~ C g ~ B I U l d w @ e : M k , &@ fdWkaqa - Streetsville daas mk.M@ M1B~:Mbbsagua - hmpton South .a mm, & P , W W k&aunMn 3mbFa,m BP m@iiqt@n nr MljIken, MP Kingsfon and the Islands We, MP Tam-Eentre fl Mass& MP WIndsor West

HBERb QF PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT

nan W. Sterliig, MPP Earleton - Mississippi Mills hie &@elanitis, MPP HaMun Mountah abefh Wltmer, MPP Knohener - Waterloo ~ique 8rnEth, MPP Nipissing : Johnson. MPP Haltburion - Kawartha Lakes - Brook a Moridi, ~IP Ri~hmnd Mil Mattbeas, MPP London North Centre

lael Gtavelle, MPP Thunder Bay - Superior North -mdak, MPP GueIph Leal, MPP Peterbaraugh id &zl&i, WP SauR Ste. Marie i Wilkinson, MPP Perih -Wellington fne Arthum, MPP Piakering - Scarborough East ten Clark, W P Leeds - Grenvilie e Hardman, MPP Oxford lil Rarnsl, MPP London - Fanshawe %r Komos, MPP Welland id Levao, MPP Brant Browell, MPP Stormont - Dundas - South Glengarry ario Msrchese, MPP Trinity - Spadina rl DiNouo, MPP Parkdale - High Park io $erg&, MPP York West 4s Jones, MPP Dufferin - Cafedon .et Mangat, MPP Mississauga - Brampton South cel &aten, MPP ftobicoke - Lakeshore Delaney, MPP Mississauga - Sfreetsville id Ramsay, MPP Rmiskarning - Cochrane na Dombrowsky, MPP Prince Edward - Hastings ra Albanese, MPP York South - Weston tuldlp S. Kular, MPP Brarnalea - Gore -Malton ~k Kbas, MPP Newmarket - Aurora rael Prue, MPP Beaches - East York

Rinaldb MPP Narthumkrland - Quinte West re %&Fs, b?FP f lgin - Mtddleaex - London Raid Dunbp, MW Smwe North ir NaqvL* W P TXEaw Cenke 1 OTmte, .MPP P u k Ieletm M@ilhr, hMJP Ottawa - Vanier 3 Colle, W P Eglinton -Lawrence rtsl CrrWld, MPP Etobicoke Centre IaJetfvey, MPP Brampton - Springdale Chudleigh, MPP Hatton

rea Hatw&, MW Hamilton Centre 7 Oen&en, MPP Wigston and the Islands in ~kydrr, UIPP a m n e id Cepian, MPP Don Valley East

I Laughren, Mayor City of Timmins k &netsgin, Mayor Cfty of Kingston MoC;w~Mayw City of &waitha Cakes rm Dmmr, Mqor Corpomtton of the Town of Midland moc&ti, Mayor C@ of Nfagara Falls loDDaaJd, Mayor City of North Bay nis SWpl&s, Mayor Town of Smith Falls {I Bgnnett, Mayor Clty of Peterborough 3 Bradley, Mayor City of Samia dy R. Hap, Mayor Municipality of Chatham-Kent Z-ahr, Mayor CTy of KiWlener s Friel, NIayor Clty of Brenfford R. Edlis, Mayor City of BeKeville ICil$pr2 NIayor City of Cornwall n M~Mutlan, Mayor Glty of St. Catharines Emuy, Mayor Town of Killand Lake Mathieson, Mayor City of Stfatfonj

eft Grossi, Mayor Town of Oeorgina I Rowswell, Mayor City of SaUlt Ste. Marie ? Banow, Mayor City of Riohmond Hill e Mafez DICicco-Best, Mayor City of London Barwick, Mayor City of St. Thomas g Craig, Mayor City of Cambridge ~ d a Hallom, Mayor City ofwaterloo d Krznfz, Mayor Town of Milton y Bur~aughs, Lord Mayor Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Burton, Mayor Town ,of Oakville

el McCalllon, Mayor City of Mississauga ?n Farb~idge, Mayor City of Guelph

.ICE SERVICES BOARDS

?rborough - Lakefield Community Police Sewice Board Iston Police Service Board tn Sound Police Services Board

don PaUw Servlces Board dsor Police Services Board sborough Lakefield Police Servicp Board lwall Polioe Services Bmrd c Police Services Board ater Sudbury Police Senrices Board pra Police Senrice Wrd :h b y Police Service Board 1 Regional Potice Sewices Board dlton Police Servim Boatd ?wall Palice Services Board lam Regional Police Servtces Board

Comissioner Chris D. Lewis Chief Cory L. McMullan, Belleville Police Service Chlef Rob Davis, Ouelph Police Service Chief Gerald McEwin, Stratford Police Service Deputy Chief John Bates, Stratford Police Service Chief Wm. Murray Faulkner, London Police Service

TOTAL 144

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