It’s impossible not to see the dangerous and demanding situations RCMP M e m b e r s are facing in Prince George and many communities. These officers - your neighbours - show up every day to keep you and your family safe.
In the past few weeks alone, officers in Prince George have been risking their lives - with even more frequency than “the normal” level of danger they already face daily. No small feat. No small risk. This is their lives on the line; for you and for your family.
On May 27, what started as a simple traffic stop on Highway 16 quickly turned into a violent armed standoff. A suspect opened fire on police. What followed was a coordinated response involving your frontline Members, the Uniform Gang Enforcement Team, the Emergency Response Team, K9 handlers, highway patrol, and an RCMP helicopter, all working together under extreme pressure. Despite bullets flying, thankfully no one was killed: not the suspect, not the public, and not a police officer.
Prince George RCMP officers have also dealt with youth with concealed firearms near public spaces, high-risk search warrants involving armed offenders, and late-night crash scenes involving impaired drivers. Each call presents a new risk. Each shift, a new unknown, to keep the community is safe.
These positive outcomes happen because officers were composed, courageous, and highly trained. And yet, like so many serious incidents involving police, it’s often not long before online criticism began, armchair quarterbacks dissecting life-and-death decisions from the comfort and safety of their homes.
This is a pattern we’re seeing far too often across Canada: officers doing extraordinary work under pressure, followed by far more scrutiny than appreciation when we know the silent majority support their police. And still, RCMP Members continue to show up and answer every call when you need them.
When Members put on that uniform, they accept the possibility that today might demand everything from them. If you see an officer out in your community, thank them. A nod, a wave, a kind word in passing. It may seem small, but to someone who’s just walked out of a high-risk file and risked their life for strangers, it’s day-changing to see a friendly face. It can mean more than you know.
The Members serving your city are showing up, even when it’s dangerous, even when it’s thankless, even when it would be easier not to.
This message is brought to you by the National Police Federation, the union proudly representing 20,000 dedicated RCMP Members serving across Canada,
including nearly 7,000 from BC.
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