by DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
From The Standard article, found here
NORTH DURHAM: After
a 35-year career in law enforcement spanning two continents, local
North Division police officer Ron Crouch will be hanging up his badge
this week.
The veteran officer has been with Durham Regional Police
since 1992 after beginning his career in law enforcement in his native
England in 1978. Since 2002, Officer Crouch has worked out of DRPS’
North Division.
However, his journey to become a police officer began several years earlier.
"It was 1971, and human rights was in its infancy, so they turned me
down because I was too short. Half an inch too short," said Officer
Crouch.
So, instead Officer Crouch joined the Merchant Navy as a
navigator, an adventure that allowed him the opportunity to see the
world.
"I had this romantic idea of girls in grass skirts and tropical
islands." recalled Officer Crouch "During the next six years I worked
aboard oil tankers, including super tankers, general cargo ships and
container ships. I never did meet any girls in grass skirts during that
time, but I sure saw a lot of sea and a lot of desert and had many
adventures along the way. My fondest memories are of navigating the
Norwegian fjords."
In January 1978, Officer Crouch joined the Sussex Police,
and was posted to the busy seaside town of Brighton for 11 years before
spending an additional 18 months in the village of Storrington.
It was a turbulent time in the UK, and according to Officer Crouch, led to several violent incidents.
"Respect for the police was nonexistent. Just about every arrest
resulted in a fight; few were willing to come quietly." Officer Crouch
told The Standard. "This was the era of riots across the UK, including
the almost decapitation of Constable Keith Blakelock during the Brixton
riots."
In July of 1990, Officer Crouch arrived in Canada after 10
years of applications, but the trip was almost very short-lived.
"I almost went back in the first hour, because I ran into Canadian bureaucracy," said Officer Crouch.
After a series of jobs, and subsequent lay-offs led him to
almost return to his native England after just 18 months, Officer
Crouch was hired by Durham Regional Police, spending time in the Major
Crimes Unit in Oshawa before heading to North Division in 2002.
Widely respected throughout the department, the interview
with The Standard prior to his final night shift on the force was
frequently interrupted by well-wishing comrades who came to pay respect
to Officer Crouch.
"Ron genuinely wants to help people - even career criminals - he wants
to get to the root of the problem so that he never has to see you again
for the wrong reasons," said Constable Craig Mullen. "The compassion
that he shows people, I haven’t seen in another officer that I’ve worked
with."
According to Officer Mullen, the positive impact Officer
Crouch has had on the community over his 11 years at North Division is
evident everyday.
"Not a single day goes by that someone doesn’t stop to thank Ron for
the things he’s done to help them and the way he’s treated them," added
Officer Mullen.
Aside from his career in law enforcement, Officer Crouch is also an avid painter as well as a writer.
In recent years, Officer Crouch has self-published a
children’s book and had two adult books published by Books We Love, a
crime/romance novel set in Ontario and a crime mystery set in England.
As retirement from the force looms, Officer Crouch is looking forward to
publishing a memoir of his experiences over a 35-year career in
policing.
In a career marked by highs and lows, it’s the camaraderie
of the position that Officer Crouch will remember most fondly.
"What I think I’ll miss most is the banter and laughter in the locker
room at the end of the shift between he crossover of the two platoons,"
Officer Crouch said. "And the old guys I sit with in the morning at
McDonald’s."
His legacy of compassion for all people will live on
through the efforts of those proud to have served alongside him with
DRPS.
"Ron has taught me aspects of policing that I’ll carry over through my
career and pass on to younger officers," Officer Mullen said. "Ron has
made me a better police officer."
Find Ron's BWL titles here