Woodstock Police Chief awarded King Charles III medal

Woodstock Police Chief Rod Wilkinson, right, was recently presented with a King Charles III Medal by Police Service Board Chair Ken Whiteford. (Contributed Photo).

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

“I am deeply honoured and humbled.”

Those were the words of Woodstock’s Chief of Police after receiving the King Charles III medal. Rod Wilkinson was quick to share the honour with the entire team at 615 Dundas Street and Ontario’s premier.

“For me, it’s a personal achievement, but I feel it’s also a testament to everyone in our police force who has supported me along the way, because this doesn’t happen without everyone else. I am grateful to Doug Ford for nominating me.”

Wilkinson, a 29-year law enforcement veteran, said he doesn’t know Ontario’s top politician well, but he is well aware the premier is a big supporter of policing in Ontario.

“I believe that is the reason he nominated me. There are a few other police chiefs who earned the medal throughout the province as well. I’m not sure they were nominated by Premier Ford or not, but that’s where mine came from.”

Wilkinson said being awarded the medal has given him a renewed focus to make the streets of Woodstock safer for the good people living here.

“I’m grateful. It goes to the unwavering support from everyone – family, friends and colleagues. I will continue working hard, and it inspires me to further my efforts. I’m a person who strives for excellence and I want to keep pushing towards that.”

He added it can be lonely at the top and to be recognized is inspiring.

“It has renewed my vigour and I will keep working hard to make the community safe and ding what we are paid to do.” 

Wilkinson said he closely examines the numbers at the end of each year, which is the barometer he has set for progress on policing in Woodstock.

“I think we are making a difference. We have a good younger generation that has been hired and we have some really dedicated officers who work very hard. There’s a cultural shift here in Woodstock where we treat everyone very well, but we also expect some work to be done. We make sure everyone knows our expectations as a police service and what we need to do.”

He explained that if he gets complaints regarding an issue in the downtown core, he is fully prepared to come up with a solution and wants to assure residents he is listening.

“I have had an issue lately regarding open drug use. I am going to deal with that. I am going to direct our officers to do some foot patrols to look at possibly laying a charge and arresting someone for it. We’re not just going to send a generic email saying can you do checks in this area. We are going to direct officers to those areas. There is an issue here, and we are going to deal with it.”

Wilkinson said it has been difficult to have regular foot patrols on part of Dundas because of Streetscape construction, but officers are logging the time they are spending downtown.

“It’s not foot patrol when you have the chance. It’s this is when we want it done.”

The medal was given to Wilkinson by Woodstock Police Service Board Chair Ken Whiteford.

“This commemorative medal honours individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to their community and country. Congratulations, Chief Wilkinson, on this well-deserved recognition of your leadership and dedication to public safety,” read a post on the service’s Facebook page.

The medal was created to honour Canadians who have made significant contributions to Canada, a province or territory, community, or achieved something abroad that reflects positively on Canada.

Woodstock Police hosts head of IOP

The Woodstock Police Service recently hosted Ryan Teschner, Inspector General of Policing for Ontario, and representatives from the Inspectorate of Policing (IOP).

Inspector General Teschner met with Chief Rod Wilkinson, Deputy Chief Nick Novacich, and Inspector Jamie Taylor, along with members of the Woodstock Police Service Board, including Board Chair Ken Whiteford and Mayor Jerry Acchione.

The visit focused on the mandate of the IOP, including its role in ensuring compliance and supporting continuous improvement in policing across Ontario.

The Inspectorate of Policing is an independent body within the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Its mission is to enhance public trust and accountability by monitoring and inspecting police services and police service boards across the province.

Teschner has concluded meetings with all 44 municipal police services across the province.