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Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and General Motors OnStar Canada Honour York Regional Police Detective Constable Jonath Chow With the Heroes Beyond the Badge Award
For Immediate Release: March 13, 2024
(Aurora, ON) – The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and General Motors OnStar Canada are pleased to announce that York Regional Police (YRP) Detective Constable Jonath Chow has been awarded the Heroes Beyond the Badge award for his positive and meaningful contributions to the Asian/Chinese community in York Region and Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
The Heroes Beyond the Badge Program honours an individual or team in a police service whose contributions to policing excellence deserves 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.
In 2021, D/Cst. Chow formed a partnership with two local Cantonese-language Radio Media Groups: A1 Radio and Fairchild Radio Toronto. He visited local stations and recorded several radio sessions, which were broadcast weekly for a period of 3 to 4 months. Through this partnership, YRP had the opportunity to educate and inform the Asian/Chinese community about intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and crimes against children. D/Cst. Chow will also star in TV broadcasts with Omni Television this year.
D/Cst. Chow spoke about police roles and responsibilities in criminal investigations and court processes while recognizing the needs that are outside of policing. He also recruited representatives from other social service agencies in York Region to inform residents about assistance available to them from the York Region Children’s Aid Society, Victim Services of York Region, York Region Centre for Community Safety, Chinese Family Services of Ontario, and the Hong Fook Mental Health Association.
D/Cst. Chow received feedback from the Asian/Chinese community and addressed the need for more information on property related crimes and prevention. He involved other investigators in the sessions to educate the community about crime prevention and police recruitment. This partnership led to other successes such as promoting Holiday Heroes, a 2022 fundraising campaign to help food banks and gift Christmas toys to lower income families. This resulted in more than 835 kg of food being donated and $2,500 in cash.
D/Cst. Chow’s initiatives have allowed YRP to ensure citizens feel safe and secure through excellence in policing. He has also delivered high quality policing services and ensures that York Region residents feel that they belong. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and General Motors OnStar Canada are proud to honour D/Cst. Chow as a true hero beyond the badge.
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Quotes:
“Police members like D/Constable Chow work tirelessly to bring the community and the police service together. We’re proud to honour his dedication and commitment. His accomplishments are a testament to the hard work that so many police officers and personnel do every day to make Ontario communities safe.” - Jeff McGuire, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
“York Regional Police strives to make a positive difference in the communities we serve, and Detective Constable Jonath Chow is an excellent example of this. D/C Chow continues to work alongside his fellow colleagues to provide high quality policing services that ensure all residents of York Region feel that they belong.” - Alvaro Da Silva, Deputy Chief, York Regional Police
“OnStar has worked with First Responders for more than 20 years to help keep our communities safer, more secure whether it’s a crash, a vehicle theft or a crisis, OnStar is proud to work with public safety professionals. Together, we help save lives and make a difference in the communities they protect and serve. We celebrate all their efforts, what they sacrifice to keep us safe every day. Congratulations to Detective Constable Jonath Chow of York Regional Police for his outstanding dedication to building trust and collaboration within the Asian/Chinese community.” - Charlene Poranganel, General Motors Public Safety Engagement Lead
For more information, contact:
José Luís (Joe) Couto
Director of Government Relations & Communications
T. (416) 926-0424 ext. 22
C. (416) 919-9798
E. media@oacp.ca
X. @OACPOfficial
@OACPCertificate
FB. http://facebook.com/OACPOfficial
Instagram: @OACPOfficial
YT. http://youtube.com/OACPOfficial
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police is the Voice of Ontario’s Police Leaders
Members of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police serve their communities as the senior police leaders in municipal, regional, provincial , National, and Indigenous police services across Ontario.
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