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I was pleased to see that retired Inspector Lance Valcour’s memoir, If They Only Knew: A Cop’s Journey with Addiction and Mental Health, tears off the veil on the personal costs of serving in policing. Through raw honesty and deep self-reflection, Valcour delivers a narrative that is compelling and necessary. His story is not only about the personal toll of trauma, addiction, and mental illness, but a powerful call for cultural change within policing itself.
I have known Lance Valcour as a composed, consummate police profession. What I didn’t know was that behind that professionalism was a man silently struggling with alcohol dependency, depression, and the mounting weight of cumulative trauma. The courage it took to step into recovery—and then to write about it—is immense. His writing resonates with emotional sincerity and a desire not only to heal, but to help others begin their own healing.
Valcour’s journey drives home an important systemic challenge in policing: the culture of silence around mental health. His experience is a reminder that untreated trauma doesn’t disappear; it can fester and manifest itself in destructive coping mechanisms and deteriorating health and well-being. This book challenges the long-standing traditions of stoicism and denial that continue to plague many police organizations.
If They Only Knew should be required reading for police leaders, officers, those in police governance, and those who wish to join the profession. It humanizes the badge while making it clear that wellness cannot be optional. This memoir is a testament to personal resilience. It is also a call for the profession to support honest and brave personal introspection.
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Licence Plate Recognition:
Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology is a transformative innovation for policing, helping to track stolen vehicles, locate missing persons, and enforce driving laws. But as its use expands to include other purposes, so does the responsibility to ensure ALPR programs are well-managed, privacy-protective, and trusted by the public.
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The Key is Compassion
Shiftwork makes people tired in a way that few things can. Police members and other first responders, who work to promote the safety and well-being of those around them, are well aware of this. However, physical exhaustion is not the only type of fatigue. The emotional load of seeing and experiencing tragedies repeatedly can have long term impacts, including on the ability to feel compassionate.
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Evaluative Thinking about Strategic Business Planning in Policing
What is strategic management and why is it important? Strategic management is the execution of a plan; it is dynamic, continuous, and involves the coordination of resources across an organization. Done well, it means a plan made an impact towards things that matter and did so efficiently.
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Honouring Canada’s Female Police Officers and Personnel
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is important to recognize the remarkable contributions of female police officers and civilian members across Canada. These dedicated professionals play a pivotal role in maintaining public safety, upholding justice, and fostering community trust.
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FASD-Informed Training for Police Officers
More than 10 years ago, on behalf of the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), I assisted in the creation of the Reach For It! Program – a recreational program that partners police officers with youth who have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
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What We Can Learn in Policing from Wildfires
I had trouble figuring out where to begin this year’s renewed version of the Police Leadership Program. The challenge was too many options. The leadership issues in policing today range all the way, for example, from community mental health to organizational budgeting to technical skill development.
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The Complexity of Police Leadership
Yet leadership effectiveness is, simply put, about people understanding people. It is a skillset that can be learned, and that depends quite simply on leaders investing in themselves. With social-scientific discoveries, self-awareness, and powers of observation and communication, leaders can pull others together around a common goal. Among others, the below three skill sets help to get you there:
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Countering Incivility, Harassment, and Discrimination in Policing
Creating a workplace environment that is inclusive, respectful, and free from harassment and discrimination is an ongoing priority for ontario police services. However, services face systemic challenges in their efforts to prevent these negative behaviours, effectively address them, and change their culture.
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The Leadership Imperative: Leader development in Ontario
Modern policing is complex. Whether mediating a dispute or managing a crisis, it’s a job that not only requires a deep understanding of the law and society, but also the ability to lead with confidence and compassion.
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THE FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP IN POLICING
Under the leadership of Chief Jim MacSween, the executive leadership team at York Regional Police (YRP) established a mission to re-imagine leadership development within the organization. YRP knew that standardizing leadership principles and delivering them to all ranks of the organization would enrich the development of ethical and professional leaders.
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Connect, Lead, Inspire
As policing leaders, there are key elements to consider when it comes to developing outstanding organizations. Opening conference keynote presenter Tanya McCready of the Winterdance Dogsled Tour and author of Journey of 1000 Miles opened the conference with a timely message: time, dedication, trust, and practice are key elements to leadership, as well as ensuring that leaders know their team and where they thrive best.
