A group of Chatham-Kent police officers responsible for the successful Project Fresh drug bust received commendations from CKPS Chief Gary Conn at a recent Police Services Board meeting.
According to Conn, the CKPS Intelligence Unit started Project Fresh in October 2018 to address drug and property crimes in specific areas in Chatham-Kent. The project involved both undercover officers and human sources over the course of four months of investigative work.
“As with any drug investigation, there is never any guarantee of success, regardless of how exhaustive the preparations may be. In this case, the investigators and investigation were both successful,” Conn said during his presentation. “Over the course of the project, there were six search warrants executed, 19 arrests, 82 charges and over $3.2 million in controlled drugs seized.”
The commendation was given to eight members of the Intelligence Unit for “excellent team work, perseverance and professionalism.”
Also at the board meeting, Conn gave Chief’s Commendations to 17 officers involved in the Walter Ardis homicide investigation from 2016 for the work in the successful conclusion of the case that saw the accused arrested and remanded to an appropriate medical facility.
The Chatham-Kent Airport staff – Manager Marion Smith, and staff members Missy Randall and Eric Dilliott, were also given commendations for assistance given to the CKPS in December 2018 to house the Mobile Command Unit until the Dillon Road project could be completed.
At the board meeting as well, were the two high school students who were winners of the CKPS Board Public Safety Scholarship winners. Kayla Coates, 17, who attends John McGregor Secondary School submitted a video on mental health, and Abbi Thompson, 18, from Chatham-Kent Secondary School, sent in a video on road safety. Each student received a $1,000 scholarship from the board.
Coates will be attending the University of Windsor in September to study Kinesiology and Thompson is headed to Trent University to study environmental and resource sciences.
