It's been nearly two months since the tragic shooting deaths of South Simcoe Police Service's Constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup.
The Bradford West Gwillimbury/Innisfil Police Services Board held its regular monthly meeting on Nov. 23 where they reflected on the aftermath of the loss.
The pair were shot and killed in the line of duty after responding to a call for a disturbance at a home on Somers Boulevard in Alcona on Oct. 11.
This was the first Board meeting since the horrific event.
Acting Chief Van Dyke reflected on the aftermath of the tragedy and its effects on the Service.
“[We lost] two of our officers in cold blood,” said Van Dyke, noting the loss has had a major impact on the Service, the community, and the policing community.
"The amount of support that we have received from the Board, from our municipalities, from our community, from our policing community has been completely overwhelming. And I’m not going to lie, it’s been a pretty tough go, but we are starting to come out of it, starting to see the signs of improvement… I’m grateful and thankful for every member of our service that stepped up during that time.”
Following the tragedy, hundreds of thank you cards were written by the Service for those who have stepped up to offer their condolences, as the Town of Innisfil continues to heal together.
Van Dyke thanked the Innisfil Fire & Rescue Services, Simcoe County’s Paramedics, the Barrie Police, the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Chief of York Regional Police, and the staff at Royal Victoria Hospital for all their support over the past couple of months.
He also shared a few positive updates from the Service, including their involvement with the recent Holiday with a Hero event on Nov. 19.
The event was hosted by United Way Simcoe Muskoka where 84 vulnerable children were paired with police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and members of the Canadian Armed Forces to shop at Walmart in Barrie before heading over to the Innisfil YMCA for a holiday breakfast.
“It was a great event," said Van Dyke.
Van Dyke was also pleased to share news of the Service's hiring of a new crime analyst, Kristal Moore.
With a police foundations diploma and a Bachelor’s degree in crime and intelligence analysis, Moore started her career as a tactical criminal intelligence analyst with the crime analytical support team in the criminal investigation branch at the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
For the past two years, Moore has worked on major cases across Ontario, including homicide, missing persons, and conspiracy to commit. As noted in her biography, she sits on the Seneca College program advisory committee for the crime and intelligence analysis degree program as she passionately believes that intelligence-led policing and evidence-based policing are crucial within law enforcement and should be taught to future crime analysts. Moore is currently studying for her Master’s degree.
“We are extremely happy to have Kristal with us. She comes very highly recommended by the OPP and she brings with her a lot of experience from the provincial level, and I’m ecstatic to have her here working with South Simcoe,” said Van Dyke.
