THUNDER BAY -- Graham Cotter has always wanted to be a police officer.
On Friday his wish came true.
Cotter was one of five Ontario Police College graduates handed their Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service badges and he couldn’t wait to get started with his career, which will begin in the remote Sandy Lake First Nation.
“I’m very honoured to be graduating from basic constable training with the Nishnawbe-Aski Police. It’s been a dream of mine my whole life,” said Cotter, who also earned a special commendation from the force for his work at school.
“I come from a small town, and the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service places (you) in smaller communities up north, so it seemed ideal for me. That was a big deciding factor to why I applied.”
NAPS Chief Claude Chum had plenty of advice to offer up to his latest recruits, starting with the Golden Rule.
“When you’re up there, treat the citizens with the same respect you would like a police officer to treat your own family,” he said. “It’s very important they be treated the same way. Build friends, build partnerships when you go to these communities.
“A lot of times when you go to these communities you’re working alone or you’re working with a limited number of resources. And in most cases your community and the friends you make are going to be your back-up and help you with your career and your community.”
Also graduating on Friday were Aaron Dodge, Evan Polini, Peter Schoenfeld and Trent Abernot.
