The Commanding Officer of the RCMP in this province believes a great way to cultivate a positive relationship with the public, especially with increased scrutiny of policing in recent months, is to tell the stories of RCMP veterans.
The book In Search of Adventure: 70 years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Newfoundland and Labrador was released earlier this week to coincide with the force’s 70th anniversary.
It contains the stories of veterans of the RCMP, many of whom were comrades of Commanding Officer Ches Parsons.
He shares that there were stories in that book which touched him personally, with many of them being told by the people who inspired him to get into policing in the first place.
Policing has been the focus of increased criticism as of late, particularly in the United States where the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked riots in the streets.
Parsons says, especially now, it is important to tell these stories because in the face of the “difficult challenges” they are encountering, these are some positive stories. He continues that the challenges they face are “for our own growth, for society’s growth, and we fully intend to meet them head on.”