Chief Bruce Davis of the South Simcoe Police Service was away from his desk last Thursday — for a pretty good reason.
He was in Ottawa where the Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, presented Davis with the Order of Merit of the Police Forces at Rideau Hall. Sixty Canadians received the insignia, including two police commanders, 15 officers and 43 members.
“I found out about a month ago,” Davis says. “Unknown to me, the police services board had put my name forward last August.”
The Order was created in 2000 to recognize conspicuous merit and exceptional service by members and employees of the Canadian police services whose contributions extend beyond protection of the community.
The badge of the Order is a blue-enameled, straight-end cross, similar to the Order of Military Merit with a distinguishing ribbon of three equal bands of blue, gold and blue. The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who serves as the principal commander of the Order, submits recommendations for appointment to the governor general on behalf of an advisory committee.
With 35 years of policing under his belt, Davis has an impressive list of accomplishments to his credit. Highlights include receiving a Police Exemplary Service Medal in 1992, being named to the Ontario Special Olympics Hall of Fame in 2001 and most recently, receiving the Police Award of Honour from the Canadian Crime Victim Foundation in 2006.
Davis has also been instrumental in developing dozens of programs and initiatives at South Simcoe Police Services during his tenure such as the amalgamation of the Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil Police Services.
“I also received a beautiful scroll with the ribbon,” Davis says. “I’m really quite humbled by the whole thing. I was very shocked when I received the notification. You need a bit of an ego to be a cop, but it’s a great honour.”
Typical of most men and women in law enforcement services, Davis says “police tend to shrug off things as part of your job. You love your job and do it as best as you can to try to help the community.”
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