Officers from near and far are answering the call of duty in Moncton again this week, as members of the Codiac detachment remain on leave following the fatal shootings of three RCMP officers on June 4.
“Our training is the same as any other city in this country really, and we have the equipment that helps us get around the city,” says Const. Kevin Harrington of the Nova Scotia RCMP.
Harrington usually patrols in Bible Hill, N.S. and is one of nearly 400 other officers filling in for officers in Moncton.
New Brunswick RCMP Cpl. Patrick Bouchard arrived the night of the shooting and says it has been an emotional homecoming of sorts.
“This is where I started my career, this will always be somewhat of a home for me,” says Bouchard.
Three of his friends, Const. Dave Ross, Const. Doug Larche, and Const. Fabrice Gevaudin, died in the line of duty on June 4.
Bouchard says he has kept busy doing whatever he could to help.
“I was a team leader, which is a road supervisor,” says Bouchard. “On another day I was taking calls as an investigator, basically anything I could do to help. If they would have asked me to mop the floors, I would have done it.”
The officers filling in for the Codiac RCMP say they are overwhelmed with the amount of public support, which they hope will continue when the local officers come back to work.
“We’re here temporarily, these members here are the backbone of the office,” says Bouchard.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Sarah Plowman
