Aligning for Youth Success

As a Community Safety Officer in Media Relations for the Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP) Caledon Detachment, Constable Joe Brisebois acts as a vital link between the force and the community. He champions initiatives that make Caledon a better place for all, and while he cares passionately about the well-being of all residents, he is especially interested in supporting Caledon's next generation of leaders.

In 2022, Joe played a central role in relaunching a four-day, annual OPP Youth Leadership Program that had gone dormant during COVID. Program participants develop life and social skills while volunteering their time – an invaluable experience that helps to transform young lives while at the same time fostering a stronger community.

Around the same time, Joe revisited the OPP’s prior relationship with Caledon Community Services (CCS) – one that had started through the Exchange Collaborative. The more he learned about CCS programs and services, the more opportunities Joe identified that aligned with his mandate at the OPP.

Through the CCS LIFE for Youth program, Joe met a participant named Nicolas. He was inspired by Nick’s passion for pursuing a career in policing, and Joe's natural response was to help make that dream a reality. With Joe championing the effort, and navigating all the necessary internal approvals, the Caledon OPP soon took Nick on as its first LIFE for Youth placement.