OACP & GM OnStar Canada Honour North Bay Police Service Constable with Award

MEDIA RELEASE

Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and General Motors OnStar Canada Honour North Bay Police Service Constable Sue Solman With The Heroes Beyond the Badge Award   

For Immediate Release: December 3, 2024

(North Bay, ON) – The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and General Motors OnStar Canada are pleased to announce that North Bay Police Service Constable Sue Solman has been awarded the Heroes Beyond the Badge award in recognition of her advocacy and compassion for mental health both in her own service and her community.

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.

Constable Solman was one the officers assigned to the Mobile Crisis Response when it was first initiated in North Bay. She has since taken an invested role in that project and has set the bar for how the program should run. She also advocated and promoted the HealthIM app (software which supports first responders during emergency mental health crisis calls) when it was introduced to the Police Service. Constable Solman strives towards helping officers understand the signs/symptoms to look for when attending mental health calls and how to communicate effectively with hospital staff to ensure that those vulnerable individuals get the help they need. She’s engaged in multiple working groups in North Bay and genuinely cares for the community members she encounters in her role and does what she can to see them succeed.

In addition to helping the most vulnerable members of the North Bay community, she holds space for other officers to come and talk out things they encounter on the road. It is not uncommon to see officers in her office chatting with her about calls or frustrations and she offers a compassionate ear and a place to vent and feel better. During times when North Bay Police Service did not have a wellness coordinator, she created a safe place for a lot of people to feel heard before they returned to their duties.

The OACP and General Motors OnStar Canada are proud to honour Constable Sue Solman as a Hero Beyond the Badge!

Quotes:

“So many police professionals in Ontario work tirelessly every day to ensure the health and safety of members of our communities. Constable Solman’s advocacy for mental health in her Service and her community are an example of everyday dedication and duty to others that is a hallmark of policing in our province.”

Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie

President, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police

“The North Bay Police Service is fortunate to have so many dedicated members who give of themselves and are willing to sacrifice so much for the community they serve.  I am thrilled to see Constable Solman being recognized for her unwavering dedication towards building trust, fostering relationships and making a difference in the lives of those she serves.  We not only honour her efforts, but the heart and compassion that she brings to everything she does.”

Chief Daryl Longworth

North Bay Police Service

“At General Motors OnStar, safety is our number one priority. Not just the safety of our vehicles, but safety of our customers and communities’ well-being, of which mental health plays a key part. Congratulations to Constable Solman for going above and beyond to support the community she serves, and her peers in policing. Her empathy and compassion in ensuring the well-being of others is a great example of what a Hero Beyond the Badge represents. It is an honour to recognize Constable Solman for her outstanding efforts in implementing and supporting efforts to help North Bay residents and the policing community. 

OnStar has worked with First Responders for more than 20 years to help keep our communities safe, whether it’s a crash, a vehicle theft, or a crisis situation, including locating missing persons, 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, and what they sacrifice to keep us safe every day.”

Charlene Poranganel

General Motors Public Safety Engagement Lead

-30-

For more information, contact: 

Dr. 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.