Rideau Hall, Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada.

We are here today for a very special celebration. Though perhaps not the most well-known, the Order of Merit of the Police Forces is one of our country’s most important honours.

Why? Because this order recognizes exceptional police and community development work over the course of a career, and it is difficult to overstate the importance of such service to Canada.

As we have seen time and again here at home and around the world, good policing is synonymous with strong, healthy communities and vibrant, successful nations.

Where police forces are strong so too are the communities they serve, and vice versa. They reinforce one another in what I like to call a virtuous circle.

This honour celebrates so much more than law enforcement, though of course that is a vitally important part of your work.

Policing, as you know, is also about community building in the broader sense. The best policing helps to create a sense of trust, inclusion, well-being and security.

The importance of good policing was in full public view last month during the protests in Ferguson, Missouri. At that time the Globe and Mail published an editorial that referred to Robert Peel’s Nine Commandments of Policing. Peel, you may know, created the first modern police force in London, England in 1829.

Though written almost two centuries ago, Peel’s Nine Commandments of Policing remain relevant to this day and are worth revisiting.

To paraphrase briefly, the emphasis is on crime prevention rather than repression; impartiality in matters of policy as well as questions of a suspect’s guilt or innocence; working closely in a spirit of partnership with the public; and indeed recognizing that police officers themselves are members of the public who are entrusted with the right to police the community.

Peel’s Commandments conclude with a reminder that the mark of great policing in a community is the absence of crime and disorder, rather than the highly visible presence of police forces to fight crime after the fact.   

Today, each of you is being recognized for exemplifying the best qualities of policing and community development. This is something of which you—as well as your colleagues, your families and the communities you serve—should be proud.

As chancellor of this Order and as governor general of Canada, I am very proud of your accomplishments. The contributions you make, as members of Canada’s police forces, are fundamental to the free and democratic society we cherish.

The example you set is also an inspiration to your colleagues in the police forces. As members, officers and commanders of this Order, you now have additional leadership responsibilities.

Never underestimate your ability to inspire and influence others through your actions.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank your families and loved ones for supporting you and your important work.

I know that policing can take a significant toll on those who serve, but it can also take a toll on your loved ones.

Each of you has dedicated yourself to serving others and to upholding the rule of law, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

Thank you, and congratulations on receiving this honour.