A New Hero Beyond the Badge

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and General Motors OnStar Canada were proud to honour Ontario Provincial Police Constable Keith Lindley as a Heroes Beyond the Badge award winner in recognition of his exceptional service and dedication to keeping community members safe. 

PC Lindley was honoured in front of an OPP command meeting by OPP Commissioner Tom Carrique, General Motors Public Safety Engagement Lead Charlene Poranganel, and OACP Director of Government Relations and Communications Dr. José Luís (Joe) Couto on September 12 at OPP General HQ.

In June, a citizen was involved in a single-vehicle motor vehicle collision on an Ontario highway. The individual was able to move over, but not to the right (safe) shoulder, as the road was impacted by large puddles. A family member arrived to assist the individual and was in the vehicle contacting roadside assistance when PC Lindley, who was off duty at the time, pulled up behind them with flashing lights. He checked on their safety and assisted with informing roadside assistance of the dangerous situation. 

When informed that roadside assistance would take some time to arrive, PC Lindley volunteered to wait with them until assistance arrived, even though he was already off-duty. During this time, PC Lindley kept his flashing lights on to indicate to other drivers that there was an issue. When it was time to clear the scene, he assisted with clearing the way with his vehicle to allow the other vehicle to merge into the lane on the busy highway.  

PC Lindley stayed with the family until an on-duty OPP officer arrived to take over the scene. He assisted with towing the vehicle and provided direction on where to go to report the incident. Despite being off-duty and having his personal time interrupted, PC Lindley indicated that his main concern was the safety of the family and getting them to a safe location.  

This is the true essence of the Heroes Beyond the Badge program, as demonstrated by an off-duty officer’s commitment to public safety.

The Heroes Beyond the Badge Program honours an individual or team in a police service whose contributions to policing excellence deserve to be known and appreciated. Individuals and/or teams are recognized for the things beyond “operational” duties that police officers and personnel do to support their colleagues and communities.