It's been nearly two months since the tragic shooting deaths of South Simcoe police officers Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup.
At the recent Bradford West Gwillimbury/Innisfil Police Services Board meeting, members reflected on the aftermath of the devastating loss, and how it has affected the community and the local police department.
The two constables were shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to a disturbance call at an Alcona home around 8 p.m., on Oct. 11.
This was the first police board meeting since the horrific event and all that has transpired, including a large funeral at Sadlon Arena in Barrie.
“(We lost) two of our officers in cold blood,” said Acting Police Chief John Van Dyke.
Constables Morgan Russell, 54, and Devon Northrup, 33, were shot and killed by a 22-year-old man inside the Somers Boulevard home after responding to a disturbance call.
The mortally wounded officers were rushed to hospital by emergency run, where Northrup died. Russell was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre and succumbed to his injuries early the next morning. The man identified as the shooter was pronounced dead after an "exchange of gunfire" with a third officer at the scene.
At the police board meeting, Van Dyke extended gratitude to people in the community.
"The amount of support that we have received from the board, from our municipalities, from our community, from our policing community has been completely overwhelming," he said. "And I’m not going to lie, it’s been a pretty tough go, but we are starting to come out of it, starting to see the signs of improvement.
"I’m grateful and thankful for every member of our service that stepped up during that time.”
Following the tragedy, hundreds of thank-you cards were written by police members to those who have stepped up to offer their condolences while the community continues to heal together.
Van Dyke thanked the Innisfil Fire & Rescue Services, Simcoe County paramedics, Barrie police, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), York Regional Police, and staff at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) for all their support over the past couple of months.
He also shared a few positive updates from the police service, including its involvement with the recent Holiday with a Hero event on Nov. 19. The event, which was hosted by United Way Simcoe Muskoka, saw 84 vulnerable children paired with police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and members of the Canadian Armed Forces to shop at Walmart in south-end Barrie before heading over to the Innisfil YMCA for a holiday breakfast.
“It was a great event," Van Dyke said.
The acting chief also announced the hiring of a new crime analyst, Kristal Moore.
With a police foundations diploma and a bachelor’s degree in crime and intelligence analysis, Moore started her career as a tactical criminal intelligence analyst with the crime analytical support team in the OPP's criminal investigation branch.
For the past two years, Moore has worked on major cases across Ontario, including homicide, missing persons, and conspiracy to commit. As noted in her biography, she sits on the Seneca College program advisory committee for the crime and intelligence analysis degree program as she passionately believes that intelligence-led policing and evidence-based policing are crucial within law enforcement and should be taught to future crime analysts. Moore is currently studying for her master’s degree.
“We are extremely happy to have Kristal with us. She comes very highly recommended by the OPP and she brings with her a lot of experience from the provincial level, and I’m ecstatic to have her here working with South Simcoe,” Van Dyke said.
