The Neskonlith Indian Band recently held a special recognition ceremony to say farewell to Cst. Jarret Cottrell, who worked with the Indigenous Policing Services (IPS) in Chase, BC.
Cst. Cottrell is moving to a new job in Cranbrook, BC, where he was promoted to Corporal in Indigenous Policing.
Cst. Cottrell did a lot to help the people of the Neskonlith Band to feel safer in their community. Before he came to Chase, there hadn’t been anyone in his job for a few years, and things weren’t going very well between the local police and the Indigenous community. Upon Cst. Cottrell being posted to the community, he spent a lot of time meeting with Band members listening and addressing their concerns. Thanks to his hard work, the community started to trust the police more and now report genuinely feeling safer in their community.
The recognition ceremony was a big success, with many people coming to show how much they appreciated what Cst. Cottrell did during his time in Chase. It was a way for everyone to show that they were grateful for his efforts and that they recognized how important his work was for bringing everyone together and creating a safer community for all. Cst. Cottrell was also given a great honor by being blanketed by the Neskonlith Indian Band as their way of showing their upmost respect and appreciation for all the work completed over the years.
As Cst. Cottrell gets ready for his new role in Cranbrook, he leaves behind a strong example of how police officers can make a big difference in their communities. We are proud of him for his promotion and thankful for all he has done. We know he will keep doing great work in his new posting, helping to make the community a better place for everyone.