Messages of Appreciation

Thank you Calgary Police Service members for making my family and I feel safe on a personal basis – I also appreciate and value the friendships I have made with various CPS members who have attended many Sunrise, Sunset and Remembrance Day Ceremonies as well as volunteered to assist the Field of Crosses in a big way on their personal time. We appreciate you!

CPS members were there for my family during a traumatic mental health crisis – they attended and helped when it was deserved the least, but needed the most. They cared. I will forever remember their kindness and support. You made a difference as you do every day. I am grateful for this opportunity to say thank-you.

Dear members of the CPS,

Thank you so much for all you do. I am very grateful we have you on our streets to protect the citizens of Calgary. We appreciate all your hard work. God bless you and your families.

I always wonder who the rude critics call for help? I never forget when we need help we call you. You always come.

When all of us run from trouble – you run toward it. You are the ones who keep this fantastic, vibrant city safe for us! Our friends and neighbours can’t thank you enough.

Mom of a police officer

I am grateful and proud to work with many amazing CPS sworn members. They work hard and are dedicated to serving the City of Calgary with pride. All Calgarians should be thankful that we have officers that go above and beyond to assist our citizens. Thank you CPS.

As a civilian member of the Calgary Police Service I would like to say that I am truly appreciative and proud of each and every member of our service that sacrifices each and every day! It truly is a calling to serve the public in this way. THANK YOU for answering the call to keep us all safe & secure in this great City of ours!! You are loved and respected by many <3

I am so proud to work (as a civilian) with officers who often dig into their own pockets to help someone who needs to buy some food or cover some other critical expense. They don’t like to talk about these acts of kindness, but every so often we do get to hear about them. Great men and women – devoted to truly serving!

Dear Members of CPS,

I wish I could afford to buy you all a coffee or had time to give each and every one of you a hug. I can’t do either of these things but I can say thank you so much and let you know how much I appreciate everything you do for our amazing city. It wouldn’t be half as amazing without all of you! Stay strong and stay safe!

Thank you for showing up day and night to serve and protect. I know your dedication causes you all to miss family events and special occasions. I know what you see, hear and experience while on duty takes a toll on your physical and mental health. Please know that you are appreciated and respected and we couldn’t do it without all of you.

From the Mom of a dedicated CPS Officer ?

My Dad: A Community Hero

My dad has been a police officer in the beautiful city of Calgary since 1987. For 35 years, he has viewed his career as not just a job, but as part of his identity. He has proudly identified as a member of the Calgary Police Service, and that pride is felt throughout our entire family. Growing up, I would tell everyone that my dad is a police officer. I used to think that his uniform, his police car, and the district workout room were the coolest things about his job. He would pick us up from school and show off the lights, he would take us to the office while he worked out, and we would frequently attend his police hockey and baseball games.

As I’ve gotten older, I have begun to truly recognize the sacrifice that my dad has given to his community over the years. In September 1992, my dad held his best friend in his arms as he passed away after being gunned down during a traffic stop. My dad, first on scene, tried everything to save his friend. This tragedy would have turned the faint of heart away from policing, but my dad continued on. He leaned on his policing community, gained support from other members, and continued to be a beacon of hope for the community.

During his time in the police service, my dad has had the opportunity to support youth as a School Resource Officer. He was liked by all the kids and made genuine connections that inspired teens to make good choices in the face of adversity. My dad’s ability to connect was the reason why I was so proud that he was the SRO of my high school, rather than being embarrassed that my dad was “the school cop.” He served the school communities in a selfless manner, always putting the students first, making sure they felt seen and heard.

As a daughter of a police officer, I grew up with an amazing role model and I have the upmost respect for the Calgary Police Service. They are called on to respond to dangerous and often tragic situations, helping those who are experiencing their worst days. They are respectful, kind, vigilant, reasonable, rational, compassionate, courageous and empathetic individuals who report to duty never knowing what they might face that day. Some calls will be life-changing, challenging, or tragic, like my dad’s in September 1992, but they show up anyway. The ultimate sacrifice, a life lost, is a risk they face and accept as a police officer. Not many professions ask that of their members.

As a Calgarian, I want the CPS to know that I stand with them. I support the work they do and am in awe of the strength it takes to face these challenges. During the pandemic, there have been many public attacks on the police service. From police officers being called horrendous names like Nazis and Gestapo, The Police Commission asking officers to remove their blue line patch (a patch to honour fallen officers), and a call to defund the police. It is no wonder that police officers are struggling and are needing support. I have and will always Back the Blue. They show up for us on our worst days, the least we could do is rally behind them. They need it now more than ever before. If we let our beacons of hope diminish, who will hold the community together?

Thank you so much CPS for keeping us safe! We are lucky to have such a great police service watching over our city. I’m truly grateful for all of you.

Everyone looks at you as a badge/ a uniform, but if they really look, they will see a diverse group of ordinary members of our community doing an extraordinary job. To all the women and men proudly serving our great City of Calgary know that we see you CPS – We see you, and we thank-you each of you for being an every day hero!

I have several friends and fellow football coaches who are members of the Calgary Police Service. Also, having played flag football for many years, I appreciate those opposing members that play for The Bullets. My closest association with CPS comes from being a high school Principal and the collaboration I have each day with our School Resource Officer is invaluable. SRO’s are a necessary part of the work we do in schools and, in turn, for the pro-active safety and care of our communities. Their love of students and their desire to align these adolescents along paths to being healthy, productive citizens is unwavering. In my 31 years as an educator, the SRO’s have been an integral partner throughout the journey. I appreciate their work and that of all CPS members who put it on the line each day.

I’m a police volunteer and have had the honour of working with police in that capacity. The kindest, most respectful people I’ve ever met. I’ve also had them come to my aid when I’ve needed to call either the non-emergency line, or 911. They are great, from the dispatchers to the officers, amazing. So many amazing moments I could share, but two stand out. Delivering lock your doors fliers on extremely icy streets and sensing something behind me. It was a police car – far enough away that he could stop if I fell, and yet seemingly close enough that the car would have broken my fall. How adorable is that, yet how boring for the officer to be creeping every so slowly behind my ice shuffle. I’ll only walk on ice for the police. Another amazing moment is a police officer handing two volunteers at an event, police patches, and later I discover it is a New York Port Authority patch honouring their fallen officers from 9-11. I say a prayer every time I hear a siren or emergency helicopter (all first responders). Be safe, and thank you for all you do!

I’m a serving member of the CPS and I understand and experience the endless scenarios that my colleagues and members of the emergency response community are faced with everyday. I sleep well at night and have confidence my children can play in our community knowing that the women and men on shift will respond and deal with anything thrown their way.

I have lived in a few Canadian cities and my family and I are very happy to be living in a city with professional emergency services. Thank you to my colleagues for all you do and thank you for those behind making Beacons of Hope a way for us to express our appreciation.

Typing this message bit by bit between calls – I’m a 9-1-1 call taker.
I’ve never met a CPS member but I am proud to have the privilege of hearing the calm confidence, respect and compassion in the officers’ voices through the headset/phone line when they arrive on scenes that would make most of us balk, cry, cower, run away or otherwise loose our cool.

They’re brothers, sisters, best friends, moms and dads just like the rest of us, and I want for them to get home physically and psychologically safe after each and every shift.

Oh, and I always wave at HAWC when it flies over my house. HI GUYS!!!! YOU ROCK!!!! 🙂

I am a proud Calgarian and the Calgary Police Service is one of the reasons why our city is such a beautiful place to be. The police presence gives us the assurance that our streets and communities are safe 24/7. The dedication of these officers is amazing and their commitment through every situation is constant. Working shifts around the clock often puts them in danger but they carry on to complete any task they are called to do. I applaud these brave men and women and would trust them with my life! Thank you!

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to say publicly how much I appreciate our police service. They continually work long hours, face ridicule, and are in situations of personal danger. They are heroes in my mind. I hope they take some comfort in many, many notes of confidence from this initiative.

I was so lucky to have a member of CPS watching out for me when I had an entire tire assembly come off of my car on Crowchild Trail. It was pouring rain and rush hour and this kind and wonderful gentleman waited with me to make sure I had someone who could take me home. He also helped to get a tow truck there and advised me to take pictures of the damage to my car. I was so frazzled at the time taking pictures didn’t even occur to me. Thank you. Your dedication to the people of this city is greatly appreciated by this member of our community. Please know that the majority of Calgarians do appreciate the work you do for all of us to keep us safe no matter the circumstances. We sleep well at night knowing if we call, you will be there.

I was privileged to be born and raised in Calgary. Calgary is a truly wonderful city that is full of people who are kind, thoughtful and committed to building and maintaining a city with world class services.

The women and men that make up the Calgary Police Service are an integral part of the fabric of our City. We are very well served today by the CPS as we have been well served since the inception of the CPS.

The integrity of each of the members of the CPS has been and continues to be exemplary.

We as Calgarians have so much to be thankful for and the Calgary Police Service and the fine work and the dedication of each and every individual that is involved, Tops the list.

Please keep up the good work.

Your efforts are appreciated and do not go un-noticed.

I am a civilian member with the Calgary Police Service and I am honored to work along side each and every one of our officers. Their dedication to providing Calgarians with a safe place to live is unheard of. Thank you for all that you do for our City!

As a born-and-bred Calgarian, I have been sad and disheartened by the negativity expressed recently about CPS and police in general by a vocal minority and by the lack of support they have received by those who should be their supporters. This initiative warms my heart! Thank you so much Murray McCann and Jackson McDonough and everyone involved in Beacons of Hope. This is a platform through which the many Calgarians who LOVE our police and are GRATEFUL for all they do (and have done over the last two long, difficult years!) can join together to sing their praises and express the positive regard with which they are held by the majority. Because of this amazing platform, this majority no longer needs to be silent. Now they have a platform, too. Thank you.

Thank you to every member of the Calgary Police Force. Thank you for showing up to protect everyone. Thank you for always being there no matter how difficult the circumstances. You have our respect and admiration.

I’m THAT Mum who never lets her kids get away with anything. Over the years, I have had to call on our Boys and Girls in Blue quite a few more times than I would have liked. They have been unfailingly helpful, respectful and kind when, on more than one occasion, they didn’t have much of a reason to be. We take our police force for granted until we need them but we must stop doing that. They contribute to our civil society where we don’t have to live in fear of authority. I thank each and every one of you for your service to this City and to the people you serve.

To Serve & Protect, the “Mission Statement” of the Calgary Police Force and what an excellent job these men in service do for our community. Their diligence and caring in the performance of their duties should make all Calgarians grateful for their efforts on each and everyone’s behalf. These are difficult and often dangerous times yet daily these brave men and women show up to keep us safe and for this we all should be eternally grateful.