An association representing police chiefs in Ontario says it’s concerned that recent deaths of on-duty officers will make recruiting new officers more challenging.
Joe Couto, the director of government relations with the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, says the death of an Ontario Provincial Police officer today is a shock to the entire policing community and a reminder of the risks officers face every day.
OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller was killed and two other officers were injured after responding to a disturbance at a home in Bourget, Ont., east of Ottawa, early this morning.
Couto says police forces in Ontario have already been facing challenges in recruiting members that reflect their communities and recent officer deaths make that even more difficult.
He says young people who might be interested in becoming police officers might take note of shootings that target officers and think twice before pursuing a career in policing.
Mueller’s death comes after a Toronto police officer was shot dead in Mississauga, Ont., in September, two South Simcoe Police constables were killed in Innisfil, Ont., in October, and an OPP officer was shot in late December while responding to a call for a vehicle in a ditch.