By Lara Fominoff (@fomsy1 on Twitter)

Lethbridge Police Officers receive special recognition

Oct 1, 2017 | 10:07 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Three Constables have been recognized for not only saving numerous lives, but also for helping children in a north side neighborhood.
 
At Wednesday’s (Sept. 27) Police Commission Meeting, Cst. Ryan Darroch and Cst. Spencer Hodgson were given the Chief’s Certificate of Commendation for saving at least four lives, while Cst. Michael Darby and Darroch once again, were both recognized for helping children.
 
As part of the Downtown Patrol Unit, Darroch says he and other officers get to know people well, and are sometimes able to see things officers in patrol cars can’t.
 
“You know their first name, you know that yesterday afternoon they had a bad day because something happened in their life. You know them as there’s a personal connection there. So it can be somewhat emotional because you know who these people are, you know who their families are, where they came from, so you want to do your very best to help them.”
 
He says anytime officers like he and Hodgson save people, their minds just “click in” and they don’t think that they may be putting their own lives in danger.
 
“It’s not really something you think of at the time, but yeah, I’ve had a Fentanyl needle go through my finger, I’ve had other things squirted on me whether it’s… a loaded methamphetamine needle, that kind of stuff. Your main goal is just to help them through this time, and I guess you take some risks to make sure that happens.”
 
Cst. Darroch and Cst. Darby were also mentioned for their investigative efforts in a stolen property case. Among other items, a number of bikes had been take from neighborhood children, and the two officers took it upon themselves to buy new ones for them out of their own pockets.
 
“I wanted the bad guys in that complex to know they’re not gonna win. I’m not gonna let them win,” explains Darroch.
 
“If would have happened again, we proably would have gone down the same route.”