CORNWALL, Ontario – Members of the public were invited to attend the East End CPS station on Montreal Rd. between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. for the annual Police Week Open House.
“This goes back quite a few years,” said Cst. Dan Cloutier. “We used to have it during the daytime hours but we felt in the last few years we would reach out to the community and want to see mom and pop come out with the kids.”
Cst. Cloutier said that over the years the event has grown and gained interest in the community. After two hours into this year’s event he believed that the number of attendees had surpassed last year’s overall turnout of about 300.
“It has turned out to be a great success. The weather is really cooperating and it’s just amazing to see everyone come out and enjoy themselves. Not to mention, all of our community partners. We’ve got Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), OSPCA, RCMP, Akwesasne Mohawk Police (AMP), OPP, CPS and even Mobile Community Watch…and big thanks to the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall for the barbecue,” said Cst. Cloutier.
Families had the opportunity to indulge in food and beverages provided by the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall while learning about police community partners and their division efforts within our region.
“We have our dispatch centre set up inside the East End station to give people a chance to see how our 911 call system works,” said CPS Communication Coordinator Stephanie MacRae. “We have the cruisers for the kids to check out, we have our crime prevention unit here and one of our new editions this year is our forensics unit.”
Det. Cst. Andrew Stevenson created a thorough mock crime scene that attendees could immerse themselves into where he explained what investigators look for upon arriving to a crime scene and how they proceed with evidence analysis. Det. Cst. Stevenson explained the process of looking for and retrieving fingerprints, shoe impressions and overall DNA evidence, delving into basic chemistry such as explaining how Luminol reacts with hemoglobin to reveal any traces of blood.
“We are always looking at new ways to get people to come check out what we do as a police service,” said MacRae, commending Det. Cst. Stevenson’s addition.
Attendees could also learn about Emergency Response Team tools and tactics, different technology police utilize like X-Ray machines and test out goggles that replicate side effects of alcohol and marijuana use.
“Everything we do, we have different divisions and it’s to showcase that division,” said Cst. Cloutier. “Within a police force, there are so many divisions…I couldn’t even remember them all to list them. The ones that are here do a fantastic job.”
Police Week is celebrated across the province between May 12 and 18.
