The IODE RCMP Community Service Award 2013

IODE Canada, on behalf of its members, established an award to recognize  a member, unit or detachment of the RCMP for exemplary public service to their community outside of their official duties. 
Each year, the office of the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police chooses the recipient.

In 2013, the award was presented to Constable Jennifer Collins, Prince Rupert Detachment.

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NAM 2013 Presentation

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Marianne Ryan

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to welcome you to Alberta on behalf of the RCMP. When I was thinking about what I might say to you today, I did some research on the IODE. What struck me most were the many parallels between our two organizations.  I learned that the governing principal of the IODE is service – service in support of the Canadian values that contribute to strong, safe and healthy communities across this country.  I learned that throughout its 113 year history, IODE members have strived to achieve that ideal.  This same ideal lies at the heart of the RCMP – an organization established 140 years ago to preserve the democratic values that define this great nation of ours. A commitment to this ideal is what we expect of the men and women of the RCMP – both on duty and off.

I learned that IODE volunteers choose to serve – knowing that their charitable work in support of their fellow citizens could never be measured solely by dollars and cents.

This is also true of those who choose a policing career, over other options that might be more glamorous, better paying – and undoubtedly, safer. Our organization, like yours has a proud history and is committed to honouring it. Like you, we recognize that the reason we stand so proud today is because we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before.  Both organizations were born of the Canadian frontier and have stood the test of time. Throughout the years, both organizations have evolved to reflect the changes that have taken place in Canadian society over the last century. And today, the modern world presents both groups with challenges that require us to explore new ways of doing things.

To me, the most striking parallel is that the RCMP – like the IODE – is made up of everyday Canadians doing extraordinary work from coast to coast. Invitations to events like this one also serve to reassure me that despite the critics – the men and women of the RCMP continue to be a source of pride for the majority of Canadians.

Your awarding Constable Collins with the Community Service Award is a good news story that sends a strong message of support to all RCMP employees.  It tells them that you value what they do and the risks they take to preserve public safety. On behalf of the men and women of the RCMP, I thank you.

In closing, I would like to thank the IODE for your enduring commitment to Canadian society.”

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Marianne Ryan
IODE Canada National Annual Meeting, Calgary 2013

Constable Jennifer Collins

The IODE RCMP Community Service Award is presented on behalf of IODE members across Canada, to a member, unit or detachment of the RCMP in recognition of exemplary public service to community outside of official duties. A monetary award of $1,000 is given to the winner to further the recipient’s community service. 2013 is the 20th Anniversary of this award.

Constable Jennifer Collins was initially posted to Quesnel in 2005 as a recruit. At the time, the Quesnel Detachment had received funding for a First Nations Policing Officer and despite her junior service Constable Collins volunteered to take on the role.  One of the four First Nations communities in the Quesnel area, Nazko, is where Constable Collins began her new duties.

Some of the programs she introduced for the youth in the band included bicycle safety rodeos, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), Christmas visits with Santa and RCMP youth camps.

Her volunteer efforts in the community deal with, but are not limited to, violence in relationships, sexual abuse and role modeling. She sits on the Board of Directors for both Big Brother/Sisters and Armada Transition House, a local women's shelter, and is also a big sister to a local First Nations youth.

Now working in General Investigative Services, she continues to work with, and support, local First Nations people. She is very committed to the community and works with the local First Nations on her own time, uncompensated.  She was recently "adopted" by a First Nations community and is treated like a family member.

The Civil Liberties Association commented on her excellent work in their 2010 report on policing in northern BC.

Since being posted to Prince Rupert, Constable Collins continues to do the same impressive work in the community. Her continued volunteering of her own time makes every community a better place to live, work and raise families.  

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RCMP Assistant Commissioner Marianne Ryan