Nearly 50 Saint John police officers and civilian employees have been recognized for the roles they played following August’s tragic shooting in Fredericton.
Fredericton police Chief Leanne Fitch gave each of them a certificate during a ceremony at the Saint John Police Force headquarters on Tuesday.
“It’s part of the healing process, I think,” Fitch said about the ceremony. “I know that our members back home were very eager to see the acknowledgments start to roll out to our partner agencies.”
The ceremony was held just a day before the eight-month anniversary of the August 10 shooting which claimed the lives of four people, including two Fredericton police officers.
Here’s some of what #Fredericton police Chief Leanne Fitch had to say during Tuesday’s recognition ceremony in #SaintJohn. pic.twitter.com/Kudf7Qqe1x
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) April 10, 2019
After the shooting, Fitch ordered all of her members to take a week off so they could have time to grieve with family.
Officers from other policing agencies took over and 911 communication operators from around the province provided relief for their colleagues in Fredericton.
“It was really remarkable to see all of the different uniforms from all around the province stitching their efforts together to police the city of Fredericton in our time of need,” Fitch said.
Officers and civilian employees of the Saint John Police Force were honoured by Fredericton’s police chief on April 9, 2019. (Brad Perry/CHSJ News)
Fitch will make presentations to other police forces and fire departments in the coming weeks.
Saint John police Chief Bruce Connell said it was nice to see forces come together during those “dark and dreary days.”
“Our members stepped up, they volunteered, they immediately offered any assistance that they could offer as members of the Saint John Police Force,” Connell said.
