Media Relations

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BPS Launches New Team to Strengthen Media Relations and Community Engagement 

January 23, 2025

Further to the Brantford Police Service’s ongoing commitment to fostering strong relationships with the community, effective January 20, 2025, BPS is pleased to introduce a newly created Media Relations Team, comprised of seven uniformed police officers from various platoons who will be available to address media-related inquiries. This initiative underscores our commitment to open communication with the media and the public, ensuring timely and accurate information sharing when it is needed most.

The newly established team consists of sworn officers who will continue to perform regular patrol duties while also providing supplementary and relief media relations coverage. These officers have received specialized training in media communications, ensuring they are well-prepared to serve as trusted points of contact for journalists and reporters. The officers will provide media information under the guidance of civilian corporate communications manager, Robin Matthews-Osmond.

The BPS Media Relations Team consists of the following Public Information Officers:

Constable Kelsie Annaert
Constable Dakota Brush
Constable Nick DeWachter
Constable Alex Guerra
Constable Adil Khalqi
Constable Maddie McDonald
Constable Serena Michell

The introduction of this team brings several key advantages to the public:

Enhanced Accessibility: 

With multiple officers available across various platoons, the media will have greater access to information, improving response times to inquiries and facilitating faster dissemination of updates to the public.

Timely Information Sharing: 

The unit will help ensure that critical information—such as updates on public safety incidents, ongoing investigations, and community alerts—is shared promptly and accurately.

Strengthened Community Trust: 

By increasing transparency and maintaining open lines of communication with the media, this initiative demonstrates the police service’s commitment to accountability and community engagement.

Support for Regular Operations:

The integration of media duties with patrol responsibilities ensures continuity of service without compromising core policing operations.

Interim Chief Jason Saunders commented, “This initiative represents our ongoing commitment to fostering strong relationships with the community. By equipping our officers with the skills and opportunities to communicate effectively, we are ensuring that accurate information reaches the public in a timely manner. This is a vital step toward enhancing transparency and trust.”