
By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
Anyone who pays a visit to the courthouse in Cayuga is sure to recognize Court Officer Frank Van Der Zalm. At over six feet tall and 70 years young, Van Der Zalm is man who leaves an impression on those who cross his path.
While these days Frank passes his time with a part-time job at the courthouse, his career is long and varied, stretching back to his early days with the Hamilton Police Department in the 70s.
“This is my 51st year of policing. There are still fun aspects; it’s a really social job…. It’s interesting to the point where it’s enjoyable to go to work,” said Frank. “There were times when I didn’t want to go in for a night shift, or where bad things happened that I had to think about to get over, but I feel blessed.”
He attributes his positive outlook to two things: “a strong marriage and a good Christian faith base.”
Frank’s career started in 1972 in Hamilton, where he spent a year as a cadet before being sworn in as an officer in September 1973, working there until 2007.
“When you started off in those days, you’d walk the beat. If you’re doing your job well, they put you in cruiser control. I did that and then I was on the tactical team for three years.”
Frank spent 14 years as a constable before his promotion to sergeant. He spent seven years in the Vice department: “We would go after bookmakers, prostitution, violations to the Liquor Licence Act, and also dealing with the pimps that were controlling the girls…. We did a couple projects where we arrested gangs of guys that in today’s world would be labelled human traffickers.”
He spoke to the severity of human trafficking concerns in Ontario: “It is an organized network…. They would actually sell the girl to another person in another city and transfer them out of there. They would be using false names and identification to get around Ontario and even into Quebec.”
After years spent in the thick of it, Frank eventually moved into Community Services, travelling to various high schools and community groups to lecture on crime prevention and other issues.
After retiring from the Hamilton Department in 2007, Frank was inspired to continue his service, taking on a job in prisoner transport with the OPP. When that work was contracted elsewhere, he became a Court Officer, ultimately winding up in Cayuga.
He began in courtrooms, watching over the proceedings: “Now, we’ve transitioned to taking care of the front lobby…. Just like the airport, you go through a metal detector. We size people up when they come in, mainly to make sure they come in with no weapons…. They’re being forced to be there … (so) they have a higher edge of animosity.”
He described a scenario at the Simcoe courthouse when a quiet man was scolded by the judge for having his cell phone out: “I went over and motioned for him to come outside and talk with me. It turns out he was intoxicated.”
As the man spoke limited English, Frank explained to the man’s daughter that he couldn’t return to court room for his sentencing. It was at this point that the situation became dangerous: “I guess he was expecting to go away for a jail term. He wound up leaving the court building, and next thing you know he’s outside holding a broken beer bottle that he found to his neck.”
Frank said the situation was ultimately taken under control before the man could harm himself, but the situation highlights how quickly things can turn even in a court room.
He said today’s officers face a series of challenges in engaging with the public, but many of those issues have rippled throughout his career: “When you step into policing you pretty well know you’re going to be videoed, and scoffed at by a segment of the population. That really doesn’t change,” said Van Der Zalm, noting how when he started his career in the 1970s, police were commonly targeted by the anti-establishment “hippy” movement of the time. “You’re not the good guy going into the situation a lot of the times, but the silent majority still support you. There’s a multitude of people out there who appreciate the police and you always have to keep that in your mind.”
He concluded, “It’s a career with many benefits to it, you just need to be able to deal with the bad things as they come.”
Thanks Frank, for your lifetime of dedicated community service. The Haldimand Press wishes you all the best when you finally decide to hang up your hat.