A London man has been arrested following a sexual interference investigation.
Working as a first responder is no easy task. It means having to be first at the scene of a crime and having to witness tragedy first-hand. One London police officer is no stranger to the lasting impacts that work-related tragedies have.
This year will mark the 10th anniversary since officer, Leigh Salminen, was dispatched to a call that changed her life.
“Unfortunately I have seen a lot of calls that have to do with impaired driving. One of the worst situations that I have personally encountered, was a situation involving an impaired driver who caused the death of two young children and one of his friends… Seeing two young boys and a young adult pass away because of the recklessness of an impaired driver, is probably one of the hardest things that I have ever had to deal with,” said Salminen.
She says that despite police officers having been trained to cope with tragedy and learn to complete the necessary task, it does not make first responders immune to the effects that these impacts create.
“As a first responder, you are expected to complete the tasks that you have been given and do so in a professional way, but it does not mean that what you see while doing so will impact you any less.”
Salminen says that since the incident, she has sought counselling to help her deal with what she witnessed that day. She says that the police force provides officers with excellent resources and benefits to help them cope with work-related tragedies.
She wants people to know that actions have consequences and that these consequences can affect, not only your life, but the lives of others around you.
“With all the resources that are available, there is absolutely no excuse for someone to be driving impaired. We used to be concerned about having to leave our cars downtown — well now there are services that will drive your car home for you, so you don’t have to. There are so many alternatives to drinking and driving, that I cannot imagine why someone wouldn’t just pick one.”
