Peacekeepers say goodbye to veterans

After 34 years on the job, a record for the Peacekeepers, Clint Jacobs and Walter Montour are are both entering retirement.

Over the many years they’ve worked, they’ve both seen the Peacekeepers change. They were once looked down upon, seen as lesser by the government and other police forces, Jacobs explained.

“They (Quebec government) were undermining us, saying we weren’t credible, we weren’t a legitimate police department,” Jacobs recounted. To remedy this problem the Peacekeepers wanted to send officers to training camps.

The government wanted them to go to the L’ecole nationale du police du Quebec (EMPQ), but that would not give them full police status. The Peacekeepers made a deal with the Royal Mounted Canadian Police (RCMP).

After 1997, the Peacekeepers were being sent to the RCMP in Saskatchewan to be trained. “It’s a requirement, you have to have it and they’ve been taking it at the depot with the RCMP out west. There were politics going on. The RCMP is nationally recognized, so they can’t deny it once you have that,” said Jacobs.

Jacobs remembers why he first joined the Peacekeepers. “I always took an interest. I was a Conservation Officer in Kahnawake for a couple of years before. I did do a stint as a dispatcher at the Peacekeeper station. I always had kind of an interest in that field,” said Jacobs

For Montour the reason was different. “When I joined up in 1991, I was inspired by my dad and pretty much living my father’s legacy throughout those years,” said Montour.

“I come from a third-generation policing family, meaning my father was a police officer and his father before him was a Peacekeeper,” said Montour.

However different the reason they joined they still had a familiar bond. “I’m going to miss my brothers and sisters in law enforcement and the circumstances that you overcome through combined effort. I’m going to miss the camaraderie between the ladies and gentlemen in policing,” said Montour.

With having been on the job for many years, there comes many stories. Montour recounts the few times he’s saved people at their lowest points.

“A young lady called, and she just said she needed help. She then shared with me that she was feeling suicidal. I began to talk to her the best I could. I said there’s services available to you, and I was able to get her to take the information for the services. I remember telling her that it’s a permanent response for a temporary problem,” said Montour.

Montour shared how he disarmed a teen during a standoff on Halloween. He was awarded a medal for his bravery due to his quick thinking.

“They’ve served for a long time in our community. They’ve done a lot of great work for community members. They’ve worked really hard at helping the Kahnawake Peacekeepers to evolve as we move along,” said Dwayne Zacharie, Peacekeeper chief.

“Clint was always a personable guy. He worked really hard. He was probably one of the kindest people that you’d ever meet. He really took his job seriously,” said Zacharie.

“Walter was actually my field training officer. So, a lot of the experience and skills that I learned and honed over the years, Walter was the first one to take me under his wing. We worked together closely for a long time and we just like being on any kind of a team,” he said.

“So, them being gone now and retiring, we wish them the best, for sure, but also at the same time, they’re certainly going to be missed,” said Zacharie.

Zacharie said everyone at the Peacekeeper station felt the same.

Both officers wanted to give some insight to any new recruits or anyone wanting to be an officer. They said how, in this job, respect is the most important thing. “I would give the same advice that my father gave me. Don’t abuse your power. Always give respect, even when it’s not being returned. And the last one being seek to understand before trying to be understood,” said Montour.

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