The North Bay Police Service introduced a group of nine new police officers during a swearing-in ceremony at the Davedi Club in North Bay Friday monring.
The service did swearing-in ceremonies for three new officers, and handed over badges to six more experienced officers who decided they wanted to work for the North Bay Police Service.
Constable David Wright was one of the experienced new officers. The 6'7" former football coach left the Hamilton Police Service to join North Bay in December of 2022 after spending more than 14 years with the Hamilton Police Service.
"Our commanders are amazing, leadership starts at the top and it works its way down and it truly does here," Wright said after the ceremony.
Scott Tod, North Bay's police chief, welcomes the new police officers and appreciates their interest in calling the North Bay Police Service their new home.
"I am grateful here today that nine people chose to join our police service; some are from North Bay most are not," said Tod.
"Some have moved 1000's of kilometres to be with us today, they bring a diversity from other police services or diversity from their personal lives. They bring families to our community, they bring their children. So for that I am grateful, one as a police chief but also as a citizen of North Bay."
Tod says finding this many officers is not an easy task these days.
"There are challenges, every other police service in Ontario is hiring," he said.
"The larger police services are hiring by the thousands so finding police officers right now is very difficult but yet North Bay seems to be an attractive spot for young people to join as a police service. I think it's because of the community first, and the police service second.
Wright admits his fiance has roots in North Bay and this place was his only focus.
"I remember when I got hired in 2006, the odds of getting hired are 1 in 250," said Wright.
"When I applied to be in North Bay, North Bay Police Service was the only service I applied to. I did not want to go anywhere else. For me, I have always been a municipal police officer and that is what I wanted to continue with and I am fortunate to have been selected to be here."
Tod says police across the country have seen a lot of changes within society along with the accountability that is increasingly being put on police services of today.
He says the demand for things like body worn cameras and demand for digital evidence disclosure is immense.
"They all challenge policing to a large extent to be more agile and nimble in our ability to deliver service," he stated.
"It is not just about crime, it is about social disorder and other things in the community that need policing."
Tod feels having more officers helps address those concerns.
"Having more police officers not just officers that are visible in the community by way of uniform but also in our specialized service units such as criminal investigations and forensic identifications, our special constables and our court system," he said.
