WELLINGTON CTY. – The Ontario Provincial Police Auxiliary program marked its 50th anniversary this year.
The OPP Auxiliary was originally formed in 1960 by an order-in-council by the provincial cabinet. Known prior to that as the Emergency Measures Organization, its members were trained in crowd control and first aid in the event of a nuclear attack from Russia.
The current members of the County of Wellington OPP Auxiliary Unit have dedicated thousands of hours of volunteer work last year. OPP Constable Mark Cloes said the members locally support and help organize child safety seat inspection clinics, food drives, and they are involved in many community events county wide.
The duties of the Auxiliary unit are never ending. They assist in traffic control, ground security at major events, seat belt clinics, assisting with Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere initiatives, bicycle rodeos, safety displays and presentations, foot and road patrol, search and rescue, marine and ceremonial duties.
County OPP Inspector Scott Smith said, “The Auxiliary program benefits the community and the OPP organization as a whole. Without these dedicated members, many special events and operational needs would be negatively impacted. These Auxiliary officers contribute substantially to the public safety, education, and awareness of the residents throughout Wellington County.
“The values and commitment these members bring to the organization is something that cannot be measured. I thank the members of our unit for their continued dedication,” Smith concluded.
