On a recent Friday afternoon, Dylan Cooney was busy washing OPP vehicles at the detachment in Minden.
The Gr. 9 student is the first of his kind in Ontario – as the local cop shop pilots a program that could extend across the province. He comes in for two hours every Friday to wash car exteriors.
The 15-year-old said he’s always liked police cars, and policing in general, and has an interest in the military.
“I figured this would be a good way to start it off.” By starting it off, he means one day potentially working in either policing or the military.
He’s so far enjoying the work and interacting with the officers. “You get to talk to them and see the other side, when they are not out on the streets.”
One day, he too would like to make the community a safer place. “You want to make sure there’s no speeders because there are more accidents. There are more dangerous drivers out there now and the OPP is there to help people in need.”
The student car washer is just one of three youth initiatives emanating from the OPP detachment in Minden. It is also starting a youth in policing academy, and hiring its first-ever summer student.
Haliburton Highlands OPP detachment commander Deb McClure recalls being exposed to the DARE (drug abuse resistance education) program when she was in school. DARE is a police officerled series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten to Grade 12 how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.
McClure said “that officer did make an impression on me.”
She said the three programs are all about positive interaction between cops and kids, and maybe helping with recruitment one day.
“Recruiting, in general, is just really important to me; especially coming here and learning we haven’t had a ton of applicants from the community,” McClure said. She added she is keen to share “the great opportunity this is as a career, and showing them so they can see for themselves. That is a motivator for me.
“It is a very critical time for youth. If they have some positive engagement with us – because a lot of time they are only seeing the negative engagement – it can touch someone’s life and is why it is a passion of mine for sure.”
Youth in policing academy
The ‘youth in policing academy’ is now accepting applications from students in Grades 9-12, who live in the Highlands, and are interested in learning more about a career in policing.
McClure said participants will gain handson insight into a variety of policing areas, including general patrol duties, major criminal investigations, canine services, emergency response, forensic identification, and impaired driving investigations.
The academy will be hosted at the detachment Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m., starting March 25, and concluding April 29.
Applications are available at the detachment in Minden, or at the front desk of Haliburton Highlands Secondary School. Applications can be submitted at either location. The application deadline is March 9. Successful applicants will be notified by email.
McClure said she hopes the academy becomes an annual thing.
Summer student
Meanwhile, the detachment is looking to hire a summer student in 2026. It’s the first time they have gotten one under the Canada Summer Jobs program.
They are looking for a student, or recent graduate, seeking “meaningful work experience, transferable skills, and the chance to grow your professional network.”
Apply online through the OPS Careers Portal (GoJobs.gov.on.ca) and search for job ID 239472.
