If you’ve been to a recent public event, like the Caledonia Fair, there’s a good chance you have seen one of the three members of Haldimand OPP’s Community Safety Services Team (CSST).
The three members of the team are Community Safety Officer (CSO) Patti Cote, Community Mobilization Officer (CMO) Jordan Foebel, and School Resource Officer (SRO) Abby Whitenect. All three shared some information about themselves, their role on the team, and why they’re excited to be a part of it.
“We work together to connect with our communities, whether it be in the schools, communities, or stakeholders. The team was formed with the hope of rebuilding a collaboration within Haldimand County, in all aspects of our communities,” said Cote, explaining the team’s core mission.
CMO Foebel said that his role’s responsibilities change on a daily basis.
“I meet regularly with community groups to identify issues and concerns, and how to help the community address these issues. I oversee the mental health program in Haldimand County, and work with our mental health workers to identify vulnerable people and help connect them to community resources. I also engage with members of the community on a daily basis,” he explained.
Foebel relishes the chance to engage with the community on a personal level through his role.
“I have the ability to spend the time talking and meeting with people to discuss the issues concerning them and trying to problem solve and come up with solutions,” he shared. “I am able to follow up with people on a regular basis, which helps build bonds within the community.”
As CSO, Cote is responsible for sharing OPP news with the public.
“I do my best to highlight any significant occurrences, via social media and our News Portal, which include arrests, charges, thefts, missing persons, and community events to name a few. I work dayshifts, afternoons, and weekends, depending on the need. I conduct presentations in the community, in the schools, and plan for all events in the county, including the Caledonia Fair and Christmas events,” explained Cote.
As a constable with 24 years of experience with the OPP, Cote recognizes the importance of serving as a role model for the younger residents of Haldimand: “I also feel that when I am out in the community, when youth approach me to tell me some of their accomplishments or just to simply say hello, means a lot.”
She said this year’s Caledonia Fair was a perfect example of the team in action as they made a splash riding around the fairgrounds in the OPP special events cart with the fair’s mascot Callie the Cow in tow. Earlier this year, Cote noted the team was able to help raise $1,670 for local food banks as part of the Corn Eating Contest during the Haldimand Motors Donate and Giveaway event.
As SRO, Whitenect plays a key role in connecting the OPP to local schools across Haldimand.
“I am assigned to assist all the schools and support students during this academic year,” she said, noting this includes 11 Grand Erie elementary schools, four Grand Erie high schools, five Catholic elementary schools, three Christian elementary schools, and the elementary school located on Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
She said the main goal of the SRO program is to connect with youth in a positive manner, mainly through classroom visits, by sharing knowledge and engaging in “open discussions to foster relationships.”
One such program outlined by Whitenect is the OPP KIDS program, which she characterized as “one of the most sought-after programs/lessons we deliver.”
The program incorporates elements from the Ministry of Education’s Grade 6 Language, Health, and Physical Education curricula, focused on four core topics: Youth and the Law, Peer to Peer Relationships, Online & Social Media Awareness, and Drug Awareness.
“The knowledge and confidence gained through the program will undoubtedly help guide students and provide them with strategies to deal with many life issues that they may be facing,” said Whitenect.
With 14 years on the force, Whitenect routinely runs into students who tell her how impactful the program was on them.
“Nothing has brought me more joy than when a student reaches out with how I’ve impacted their life,” she said. “My job is to give students the tools to make good decisions, to help parents navigate the pressures of parenting, and to work alongside faculty to foster a positive culture for the youth in our county.”
She shared that upcoming in 2025, Haldimand OPP will be offering a Youth Citizens Academy to area youth, providing engaging programming to students with an interest in pursuing a policing or law career.
“There will be more opportunities that this role will bring to the youth of our community, one to encourage and empower in a positive way,” said Whitenect.
Although the three each have different roles and responsibilities, they all operate together within the realm of community engagement.
“The benefit of our team is that we all bring different knowledge and experience to the roles. We are able to assist each other with community activities and come up with creative ways to engage within the community,” said Foebel.
He added that advocacy work is an important focus for the OPP, noting his involvement with several committees, “including ones focused on harm reduction as well as addressing the issue of homelessness. In addition, we continue to focus on mental health and how to best treat and help people in crisis.”
Cote concluded, “I think the fact that we have many years of combined experience between us, it’s fantastic that we can share ideas, provide feedback from personal experiences as to what has been successful, and connecting with different contacts for our various roles.”
While she said there are other projects in the works that the team is not yet ready to announce, they are looking forward to several activities throughout the fall and winter season, including “participating in as many upcoming parades and food bank drives this fall and early winter.”
So, if you see an OPP officer out and about while celebrating or attending an event, stop and say hello. In addition to their ability to provide you with a wealth of useful knowledge, you just might make their day as well.
