Canadian Police Heroes: Beyond the Call of Duty

Dorothy Pedersen
Altitude Publishing Canada (2006)
ISBN 1554390524
Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (2/07)

How many times do we take our safety for granted?  How often do we think about those who put their lives on the line to maintain our safety?  Often when we hear about those who have chosen the mission of a police officer they are described as “the officer” in some crime story or another.  Dorothy Pedersen has taken the focus away from the crime and into the lives of “the officer” that has gone “Beyond the Call of Duty” in her book describing “Canadian Police Heroes” from the Amazing Stories series.

“Canadian Police Heroes” consists of ten chapters, ten stories from across Canada of officers who have crossed the line from duty to heroics.  The success of these stories lies in Pedersen’s ability to take the story of “the officer” and turn it into the story of Peter Snell, Phil Huckins, Kevin Scott and the seven other officers with stories contained within the book.  It is about their lives leading up to the event(s), the impact of the event(s) on them and others, and how it continues to affect their lives.  To truly appreciate the event, we must truly appreciate the officer, and Pederson has truly succeeded in this regard!

Beyond the duty of fighting crime, our officers are faced with many opportunities to impact and often save lives.  While we hear most often of their role in crime, it can be the less told story that has the biggest impact.  The stories of officers risking their lives to save another, putting in countless hours to help those in need, the stories are endless, the dedication is heroic.

“Canadian Police Heroes” is a tribute to those officers that have gone above and beyond the line of duty.  Its greatest impact, however, is in uncovering the passionate human behind “the officer.” 

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