Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JANUARY 2017 13 And now for the most Canadian thing ever Basically torture O h yeah?! Well you listen to Nickelback! So there!” With all due respect (and sympathy) to actual fans of the band and international laughingstock, people hate Nickelback so much it’s a full-blown meme. “Does this have anything to do with law enforce- ment?” Excellent question. According to multiple media reports, the Cana- dian town of Kensington is getting super serious about stopping drunken driving. Should you be stopped in the area while operating under the influence, police will charge you and take you to jail – blasting Nickelback on the way to the station. The Kensington Police Service recently posted the plans on Facebook. “When we catch you, and we will catch you,” the de- partment wrote, “on top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a year’s driving suspen- sion we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail.” Constable Robb Hartlen told CNN most of his fellow officers don’t actually hate the band. But there’s so much stink on the brand Nickelback the hope apparently is that people will do anything to avoid being associated with the Canadian rock band. “We are just using a dif- ferent approach to get an age-old message communi- cated,” he said. “As long as it starts the ‘Don’t drink and drive’ dialogue, we’re happy with that.” This is an idea that might have legs, as they say. If you threaten people with Nickelback, they’ll do almost anything to keep you from hitting the “play” button Editor’s note: If you’re Canadian, have spent time in Canada, or even know some Canadians, this needs no explanation. For the uninformed, Canadians are really serious about being nice and polite and sensitive. Behold the lesson in class and humility we need more of south of the border. Constable Hartlen takes it from there. (edited for length) I’m sorry to Chad, Ryan, Mike and Daniel. Not as just members of Nickelback, but more importantly as fellow Ca- nadians. I’m sorry guys because I didn’t take a moment to think of you AS just guys and having to watch as media around the world takes a pot shot at you and having no way to defend yourself. I didn’t take a moment to think of your families as news agency after news agency used their loved ones as a punch- line. I didn’t take a moment to think that you were the ones that give not only money to hundreds of charities but you routinely give that all important currency, time. You guys share so much with so many and I truly feel bad for using that the way I did. It was not my intention, It was not my desire but it was the outcome and I have to own that. So for that I am sorry. As Canadians we are better than that. We don’t embrace be- ing a bully and being cruel and belittling of the work others have done. We strive for acceptance, for equality and fairness. So instead of just walking away from my misstep, I have reached out to Nickelback. To Chad, Ryan, Mike and Daniel. I have reached out to their fami- lies and offered my apologies but I still have a strong belief in the original message of Not Drink- ing and Driving. And as we spoke I found out some wonderful news. They feel just as strong about it as I do. So we decided it was best to take down the original post. Kensington Police Service will be launching a new Anti Drink- ing and Driving message. One that embraces all Cana- dians and with a united voice we will shout back against Drinking and Driving. We will work to help many, not shun a few. Constable R. Hartlen December, 2016 Register your agency for this FREE training at The TRAUMAS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT Training Locations: (Please check website for registration deadline dates.) January 9-11, 2017 - McAllen, Texas January 30 - February 1, 2017 - West Palm Beach, Florida February 27 - March 1, 2017 - Lakewood, Colorado (Denver Area) March 6-8, 2017 - Sacramento, California March 27-29, 2017 - Burr Ridge, Illinois (Chicago Area) April 10-12, 2017 - New Orleans, Louisiana April 24-26, 2017 - West Fargo, North Dakota June 5-7, 2017 - Syracuse, New York Presents NATIONALCOPS.ORG In its 22nd year, the “Traumas of Law Enforcement” has been said to be “the best training I have taken in my entire law enforcement career” by many who have attended.