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This week is our week. The week of caring workers who do not hesitate to put their own safety and sometimes even their life at risk to ensure that of others. The week for those who are proud to wear the uniform and to be at the service of the population, aware of all that this can imply. The week of those who are often quickly and severely judged when an intervention bridle, filmed out of context, is posted on social media. The week of passionate, sensitive, caring men and women who work hard to make Saguenay a safe city where life is good.
This text was written by the Prevention and Communication Unit of the Saguenay Police Department
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This week is Police Week.
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This is an opportunity to pay tribute to the police officers who died in service, to highlight gestures of heroism and exceptional accomplishments, but also to highlight and make known the realities of our community.
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This year’s theme is particularly topical: “Knowing how to prevent, knowing how to intervene: domestic violence and the police.” “
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Earlier this week, a letter was sent to all the staff of the Saguenay Police Department to underline the excellence of the work accomplished on a daily basis in matters of domestic violence.
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The text contained in this letter contains neither prose nor metaphor and even less figures of speech. It was not composed by a great writer or even by a successful author, but rather by “a police force” who put all their heart into it, with the intention of reaching those of his colleagues.
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Then we realized we could do better than just a “pat on the back” internally. Why not inform the population of what we are doing, of our work, of the scope of the task carried out week after week to protect victims, bring aggressors to justice, prevent and reduce situations of conjugal violence.
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Tribute to the work accomplished in the fight against domestic violence
It all starts with the calm, perseverance, quick-wittedness and qualities of communicators of the staff of the 9-1-1 Call Center. Thanks to their aptitudes and their attitude towards applicants who are often in a state of panic, they succeed in obtaining and transmitting the information necessary, even crucial to the success of the intervention to come.
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Then, there is the professionalism, the speed of intervention, the listening, the composure and the good judgment of the patrollers who are regularly confronted, sometimes even at the risk of their own safety, with situations of conjugal violence. Situations which, it should be remembered, are all more striking than the others.
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There is also the logic, thoroughness and critical thinking of the officers of the Forensic Identity Service. Their analysis and research work provides material, physical or scientific evidence that allows for a better understanding of the event and the involvement of the various people involved.
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Then comes the comfort, openness, patience and diligence of the sergeants and detective sergeants who accompany, reassure and who often invest a lot of time and effort in order to succeed in creating a solid bond of trust between them. and the victims. All in the hope of ensuring their protection and bringing the attackers to justice.
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At the same time, we must talk about the work carried out by the members of the Prevention and Communication Unit who spare no effort in their objectives of preventing this type of crime and maximizing the quality of services offered to both aggressors and victims. They are involved in the various conjugal violence and sexual assault round tables in our territory. In addition, they work jointly with various partners such as shelters, community addiction and mental health organizations, street work services and many others. They strive to understand each other’s realities and to explain as clearly as possible the realities we face as police officers. They also try to respond as adequately as possible to their requests and needs.
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On the other hand, the media relations officer must exercise great vigilance in the media treatment of these particular files. It is with discernment, thoroughness and respect that he takes care to preserve the confidentiality of information relating to this type of file, and this, of course, in the interest of the victim.
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There is also the audacity and desire for constant improvement of the members of the Training Unit who have been able to integrate our various partners in the process of training new police officers. This initiative allows various resources such as shelters to promote their services, which has the effect of improving the knowledge of our recruits and ensuring an increased quality of intervention in matters of domestic violence.
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We must not forget the work of the interveners of the CAVAC (Center for assistance to victims of criminal acts) who joined our work environment a few years ago. The latter do extremely important and valuable work in accompanying and supporting victims. The speed with which they begin their accompaniment and support procedures, their availability and their professionalism make a big difference both in the legal process and in the lives of victims.
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The work should not be ignored:
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• officers from the Environmental Security Bureau and officers from the Operational Support Unit who bring the attackers to court and transport them to Roberval prison;
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• liaison officers who ensure that everything is in place to ensure the smooth running of the judicial process;
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• civilian employees who process, record, route and store all the information contained in the files drafted by the various police personnel;
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• patrol supervisors who ensure the smooth running of interventions in the field;
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• and finally, there are all those who have not been named, but who do not hesitate to invest and get involved in order to make a difference in the sad reality of domestic violence
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