Book Sales

“I Only Wanted to be a Detective: from small town high school grad to Commissioner of one North America’s largest police services.”

When I joined the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 1978, I had no idea what career opportunities were available or laid ahead. My simple goals then were to work hard, become a Detective and to stay in Northern Ontario. However, the 36 years to follow were a whirlwind of assignments, travel, challenges and promotions through some significant investigations and large policing events, as well as some very dark days in OPP history.

This book is not about me, but is a walk-through time, through a series of interesting stories about people, places and events that I witnessed and sometimes participated in, that are largely buried forever in archived police reports. But they are stories about an organization that I loved being a part of, as well as people that I worked with and served – that I would’ve taken a bullet for, as well as the small part I may have played along the way.

“The Climb: My lifelong quest for personal and professional resiliency.”

 I know now that I have suffered from some of depression since I was a young teenager – as did my beautiful mother. But a career as a police officer and being exposed to hundreds of traumatic incidents – from my uniformed patrol duties; tactical operations and major crime investigations furthered my mental health issues. Brain surgery in 2000 certainly didn’t help, but I never told a soul about any of it. Nothing. Nor did I seek professional help, at least not until my retirement. I also now appreciate that I have also suffered with a Post-Traumatic Stress Injury since 1984 and am getting the help I so foolishly hid from for over 30 years. 

How did I survive? I do not profess to have all the answers and credit still being alive to sheer luck and the love of family and dear friends, as opposed to the help I should have sought. But I hope speaking of my journey will inspire others to firstly to ‘never give up’, and secondly to seek the professional help they deserve. 

“Do Blue Lives Still Matter: The War on Policing in North America”

More cops were murdered by gunfire in Canada in late 2022 and early 2023 than during any similar period in Canadian history. In the USA, a police officer dies every 48 hours on average. Police once went on patrol carrying a revolver, 6 extra bullets, handcuffs and a ticket book. Now, it’s with tactical uniforms, vests, multiple magazines for pistols and carbines, multiple restraint devices, CEWs, pepper-spray, batons, tourniquets, body worn cameras and more. They carry everything short of nuclear weapons. Officers have gone from the days of Barney Fife to Robocop. Yes, some careers are more dangerous than policing, but other than the military in theatres of war, what other profession do people intentionally hurt and kill, for no other reason than the wearing of a uniform?

There is more oversight of police activities than of health care. Millions of positive daily interactions between the public and police never receive mention, where the occasional malicious wrongdoing by an officer becomes the never-ending story. Police budgets are often cut or stagnant, and certainly seldom keep pace with inflation. Officers are being pulled from schools in some jurisdictions. Anti-police groups continue to call to “defund” police, and some will not be happy until police no longer exist. Political support of police blows with partisan winds. Despite competitive salaries, pensions and benefit packages, recruit applicants in Canada continue to fall.

Where is this all going and why? Something needs to change.