Cadet Douglas MacIntosh is sworn in to the North Bay Police Service Friday by City Solicitor Mike Burke.
The North Bay Police Service welcomed two new members to their family Friday, during a swearing in ceremony where Cadets Steven Carleton and Douglas MacIntosh, recent graduates of the Ontario Police College, were promoted to the rank of Constable.
Police Chief Paul Cook told the two new recruits in front of their families, friends, and peers that as they embark on an exciting career they must stay focused on the importance of integrity while carrying out their duties. Cook says it is especially important now to drive home that message because the service is losing its senior officers.
“They are replacements, our sworn strength is being maintained at 92, and both Constables MacIntosh and Carlton were successful in our background stages and just recently graduated from Ontario Police College last week,” explains Cook.
“These officers will now be assigned to a coach officer for a minimum of three months that will be a senior officer selected by their supervisor.”
“As you’re aware our police service is becoming very young, we’ve hired approximately 26 new officers in the last four years, so the role that their peers as well as their supervisors play is as guiding and coaching them is integral to their success.”
Both Carlton and MacIntosh said they have been working their whole lives to be officers and look forward to working hard and preserving the integrity of the service.
“It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a child in grade school,” says Carlton who felt exhilarated having survived the lengthy hiring process.
Carlton, 22, hails from Petawawa and says with family in the city and cousin already on the force North Bay was a great choice for his career. He also says he hopes to make a difference in the community.
“I hope to end with just a rewarding career and having just made an impact on at least one person by the time I’m finished with this career, that’s all I really want. I have a big passion for working with children so to make a difference in a child’s life would be absolutely all I’m asking for in this career.”
MacIntosh, 27, says policing is in his blood and thinks North Bay is the best place to have a career.
“I’m not unfamiliar with the Near North I was born in Red Lake, my dad used to work for the OPP, we moved down to Dundas and my grandparents have a cottage on Lake Nosbonsing, so I love this city I’ve been coming here all my life.”
“Well I am certainly thankful first of all to the citizens of North Bay, to the town council, to the police department for hiring me on and I will do my very best to serve you everybody from all ages and backgrounds … and I will work hard.”
“I wanted to be a police officer since I was 10 years old, my father now works for Halton Regional Police, and I’ve always looked up to him so I would say that was a major factor in my decision to go for policing it’s all I ever wanted so I’m happy to see this come true,” he adds.
