By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
While policing is a great career, the physical and mental impact begins to be felt several years in – in recognition of which the CPS Wellness Committee was formed in October 2023 for members of the Cobourg Police Service.
Representatives Jocelyn Hilts, Jordan McGrath and Ryan Rinneard appeared before the Cobourg Police Services Board at its October meeting to ask for support in acquiring two pieces of equipment.
Healthy police officers are better able to serve and protect. Committee plans include educational workshops, wellness challenges and peer-support programs with the ultimate aim of increasing job satisfaction and improving overall performance – not to mention decreasing absenteeism (which, at this time includes 10 officers on Workplace Safety and Insurance Board cases and three on long-term disability).
Another way the committee is working to promote a healthy and productive work environment that fosters a culture of care and support is establishing a state-of-the-art fitness centre in support of a health-and-wellness culture. They have already had a significant boost in the form of a $16,000 donation from Thomas Buick GMC.
One of the presenters, who had been on the force prior to the committee as well as after, reported that morale among all the officers “has gone up tenfold.”
The new equipment would represent an addition to the equipment already available – a commercial cable machine and a dual-function leg extension/leg curling machine. The $6,000 price tag could be appropriated from the Unclaimed Goods Account. Vice-chair Adam Bureau asked if that could be covered, and was told that the account has just over $10,000 as of the end of September.
“Well done, long overdue,” Committee chair Ronald Kerr commented, presenting the motion from member Sean Graham to grant the request. The motion was passed.
