For many kids in our district, Constable Mike Glueheisen has become a regular part of the school experience. The OPP Community Outreach Liaison Officer has been spotted flipping burgers at school barbecues, running OPP Kids workshops for classrooms, and working one-on-one with kids to build trust between youth and the police. He’s also a frequent visitor to seniors centres, community housing, First Nations events, job fairs and can often be seen out and about in the community at large, anywhere from Rainy River to Fort Frances.
His presence hasn’t gone unnoticed – or unappreciated. Since taking on the role of Community Liaison in December 2022, Glueheisen has received praise and accolades throughout council chambers and school board offices across the district.
“You will find Mike at almost every public event,” said Fort Frances mayor Andrew Hallikas in a public address. “Mike provides education for our youth and our seniors on various topics. I salute the OPP for providing a Community Outreach Liaison Officer. They certainly have the right person for the job in Mike.”
For Glueheisen, it’s a rewarding job, where he gets to make a positive impact on the lives of kids in the same community he grew up in.
“So many children recognize me outside of work and come up and say hi,” he said. “It means a lot that I’m able to connect with them in this positive way and potentially it will assist our front line officers when they have engagement.”
The goals for his role are muti-faceted. Community policing is a shift from traditional law enforcement and focuses on building trust and long-term relationships in the community with the long term goal of reducing crime.
“It is based on prevention and education through relationships built,” said Glueheisen. “I believe success comes in all different ways, from positive interactions, smiles, laughs, education, crime prevention and building relationships. These interactions are a great way to reduce crime and support the community.”
Community policing has been growing in popularity across the country, as a way to break down barriers between police and the public. It moves away from punitive interactions, to ones that build trusting relationships and find creative ways to solve problems. In some communities, it may look like an increase in foot patrols and neighbourhood beats, giving a familiar face to the police force. In others, it may be crime prevention programs, to target trouble areas, such as gang violence or at-risk youth.
Glueheisen’s role focuses primarily on youth. He’s involved in the schools, and promotes a positive approach to the police. He also offers OPP Kids to students in grades 5-6, which educates youth on the Youth Criminal Justice Act, Social media/Internet safety, Peer to Peer relationships and Drug Awareness.
“I am familiar face for a lot of students and around to offer encouragement and support from K-12,” said Glueheisen, who has seen first hand the trust growing with every school visit he’s made. “I’ve been able to connect with a lot of young people. I see small accomplishments every time. Just a simple hello from myself or a full conversation on what they are up to that day provides a familiar face between the OPP and community.”
Community engagement isn’t limited to Glueheisen – it’s a philosophy that’s been adopted by the entire detachment.
“We all focus on community engagement as much as we can,” he said, noting that all officers serve the community by attending community events, providing engagement, education and enforcement throughout the district.
“Community engagement promotes cultural awareness, education, safety, and builds trust in police, which is essential to reducing crime.”
