Detective Constable Garry Vosburg, York Regional Police - 2009 Bud Knight Award Recipient

Married, with two high school aged boys, Garry Vosburg began his career with York Regional Police in 1985, serving primarily across the south end of York, in Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill. He has worked in uniform patrol, the court bureau, and CIB.

In 1990 he got his first taste of youth work, when he was assigned to School Education duties in Community Services. During his first summer in the unit, he and his partner Mike Godber formed the force’s first bicycle patrol unit. It was called Bicycle Investigation for Knowledge Equipment and Safety ( or B.I.K.E.S.) and was targeted at making sure that kids were riding safely rather than on enforcement.

By now, living in Vaughan, Garry became involved with sports, coaching in the local hockey and baseball leagues, as well being an instructor with the Peel Judo Club where he recently earned his black belt. Throughout 1999 and 2000 he was a member of the 2000 Special Olympics Spring Games Organizing Committee. He was a founding member and past Vice Chair of the Santafest in Maple Santa Claus parade committee (including designing, fund raising for, and helping build the Santa Float) and served on the Maplefest Committee, an end of summer event that brings together the finales of both soccer and baseball youth leagues with a three day festival. Garry is currently part of the Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade Committee.

Returning to youth programs at work, Garry became a Streetbeat (high school liaison) officer where he was twice honoured with The York Region District School Board Vice Principal’s Association’s Student Success Award. During this time he developed and implemented LEEP. The Law Enforcement Education Program developed for suspended and expelled youth receiving their education off school property, as a way of keeping them engaged with police in a positive way.

As a way of giving parents that don’t have the time or opportunity to coach their kids in sport, a fun, competitive family activity, Garry started the Great Maple Cart Derby with the help of family and friends. Modelled after larger events with more sophisticated cars, the GMCD is designed to enable kids to build safe carts, with parental assistance, using primarily scrap materials. The GMCD has reached hundreds of kids, both locally, and by running satellite races in neighbouring communities, including Aurora, Bradford, Uxbridge and Mount Albert.

By now a Youth Coordinator/ Community Liaison officer, he continues to work with and support the regions youth as a member of:

• York Region Advisory Forum on Children Youth and Families
• RHEACH (Richmond Hill Engages All for Communities and Homes)
• Together For Maple
• Empowered Student Partnerships (ESP) steering Committee.

Congratulations, Gary Vosburg