MANITOULIN—There is a new face of the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Community Services Officer (CSO) Berkely Parisien has hit the ground running in her new role and couldn’t be more excited to get to know her Island community.
Constable Parisien hails from a small town just outside Ottawa, Russell, and policing is in her blood.
“I come from a policing family,” she tells The Expositor, adding that she knew early on that the want to follow in the family footsteps was strong. “I volunteered with victims’ services and I loved it. I worked a lot with policing while in that role and that motivated me to be on the front line and helping people in that capacity.”
“I want to be proactive, not reactive,” she says. “I’m really motivated to be there for people and community policing and community safety plays a huge role in that.”
CSO Parisien has 10 schools on Manitoulin and Espanola under her belt. As an older sister to school-aged sibling, the constable is well-versed in connecting with kids. And, she noted, it wasn’t all that long ago that she herself was in high school. “I know the challenges they’re facing,” CSO Parisien says.
“Having a positive role model for kids in school is crucial,” she shares. “I take that seriously. Being a constant face in the schools will develop a level of trust.” CSO Parisien is all about giving people—no matter their age—the tools they need to be aware and be safe.
The constable started her schooling out with police foundations then transitioned to a degree in conflict studies, which she says has been beneficial to all aspects of life, policing and otherwise. “Most of the calls we come to are because of some kind of conflict,” she says.
Before being stationed to Manitoulin, fresh out of police college, CSO Parisien had never been to Northern Ontario, let alone Manitoulin Island. “Northern Ontario truly doesn’t get enough credit,” she adds. “When I applied to the OPP, I applied to detachments around Ottawa. When I got the offer and they said ‘Little Current.’ I said ‘yes, I’ll take it’ then immediately got home and Googled it,” she laughs. “They couldn’t have picked a better place to send me. I love this community a lot.”
CSP Parisien has two dogs so it’s not unusual to find her hiking the trails, exploring or boating. “It’s a fun place for my family to come visit, too.”
“One of my goals is I really want people to recognize me as open and approachable,” the constable urges. “I want to hear from community members and make a positive impact. If you see me, come say hello!”
