ABOUT | OPP Beyond The Blue

In proud partnership with the Andy Potts Memorial Foundation

From left to right: Chapter Vice-President Melissa Heikamp, Chapter President Jacqueline Sbeyti, Sergeant Matt Hanes and Mr. Bob Potts of the Andy Potts Memorial Foundation, Canada BTB VP Dilnaz Garda, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique.

Within the OPP we've known for quite some time that things have needed to change with concern to the well-being of officers and their families. Recently, the organization has worked tirelessly with several partners to continue to improve their resources and systems in place for officer wellness - we can now say that their families have been included.

OPP Beyond The Blue focuses on the well-being of family members through education, tools, and ultimately building a community that understands what it's like to live with and/or love a police officer. Together, we will keep an open conversation about all things police-life so that we can create real change at home and on the front lines.

About OPP BTB

What stands beyond the Front-line and Civilian Members are the husbands and wives, sons and daughters, common-law partners and significant others, mother and fathers. These are the people we strive to serve. Your family is our family.

Values

Quality - Our focus is on the people we serve and we will strive for excellence through evaluation and continuous improvement.
Caring - We are committed to serving with empathy and compassion.
Integrity - We are committed to acting in an ethical, honest manner.
Respect - We believe that all people should be treated with consideration and dignity.
Accountability - We are committed to measuring, achieving and reporting results, and to using donor dollars wisely.
Teamwork - We are committed to effective partnerships between volunteers and staff, and we seek opportunities to form alliances with others.

Objectives

The key elements of our organization lie within the following objectives:

To offer a community of support to police families.
To coordinate resources, educational opportunities, and training that will aid in offering practical tools to police spouses and families.
To reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and mental injuries.
To facilitate police families connecting on a social level to build friendships and supportive relationships.
To promote awareness of our officer’s worth as well as an understanding of the joys and struggles that are uniquely experienced in life in law enforcement.

Vision

Canada Beyond The Blue is working towards increasing the number of established Beyond The Blue Chapters across Canada. This will allow for greater support structures, collaboration and access to resources for police families in Canada.

Larger organizations have an inherent strength and advantage which can include a greater influence, stronger brand recognition, an economy of scale, greater human resources and more – all of which Canada Beyond The Blue and its Chapters will benefit from.

Mission

Committed to providing a community of support to police spouses & families, through resources that will provide education, training & practical tools to enable families to thrive in their roles as the support system for their police officer.