Honouring six of their finest.
A ceremony featuring the lieutenenant-governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau was held at Peel Plaza for Saint John Police officers receiving 20 and 30 year exemplary service awards.
Constable Tammy Spence got the 20 year service bar while Sergants Tom Clayton, Gino Doucet, Brian Donovan and Chuck Elgee all got their 30 year service bar.
Sgt. Chuck Elgee tells us 30 years felt like 200 on some days but mostly it flew by. pic.twitter.com/hQT9YllPA6
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) September 28, 2017
Sgt. Elgee says the medal means a lot and he says some days it feels like he has been there for 200 years but other days it feels like the time went by fast.
Cst. Tammy Spence receives her 20 year service bar. pic.twitter.com/VyPFPHwB1Z
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) September 28, 2017
Constable Tammy Spence got the 20 year service bar medal and she tells CHSJ News over her career she has noticed a lot of changes.
She says new recruits are a lot older now and more educated and the laws make policing a lot more challenging then when she first started in 1994 but she adds everyone adapts to the changes.
Sgt. Tom Clayton gets his 30 year service bar. pic.twitter.com/to0bmpLnBV
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) September 28, 2017
Sgt. Tom Clayton has been on the force for 30 years and says he’s not sure he could handle the workload the new officers face today.
He says you have do more with fewer officers.
Clayton says the way the world is and with budgets he finds the officers are worked really really hard.
Sgt. Brian Donovan also got the 30 year service bar and tells CHSJ News he works a day shift now responsible for support services looking after the building and getting all the police equipment the officers require.
He doesn’t miss shift work calling it stressful and hard as you get older working nights all the time.
Staff-Sergeant Jim Fleming also received a 30 year service bar but was unable to attend as he is on vacation in Europe.
