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Taking Pride in New Services

Simon Martin, Blue Line Magazine
March 2011

In response to burgeoning demand for expanded services, Commissionaires Great Lakes launched a new investigations unit in December.

“An investigation unit connected to a company with security consulting is just a natural step,” said director Tom O’Carroll, formerly a detective with London Metropolitan Police and manager of investigations at Microsoft Canada. With more than 30 years experience, “My forte in the investigations industry is working with the private sector,” he said.

The four core services the new unit offers are:

  • Due diligence: Knowing who you’re working with. With more business deals happening across oceans, Commissionaires uses its global network to determine the financial strength and legitimacy of individuals and corporations, O’Carroll said.
  • Fraud investigation: “A number of fraud cases may go criminal,” O’Carroll said, “but others also fall into the civil realm. We can assist in ensuring that what is passed onto the police has a foundation for a criminal prosecution.”
  • Litigation support: Assisting lawyers in gathering information, helping sift through documents and producing detailed reports and court presentations.
  • Intellectual property cases: Helping clients prevent counterfeiting of their products.

“We are excited to be up and running,” O’Carroll said. “The nice thing about being in investigations is there is a strong demand, so we’ll be busy.”

The organization originated in England after the Crimean War. Captain Edward Walter founded the Corps of Commissionaires in 1859 to help veterans transition back to civilian life. Established in Canada in 1925, the Commissionaires now has 17 divisions, with offices in all 10 provinces and three territories. It employs more than 20,000 former police, military and qualified individuals who provide security services to public and private entities.

One of the biggest challenges O’Carroll foresees for his new unit is getting private industry on board.

“Commissionaires’ story and history is well-known in federal and provincial government,” he said, “but we’re still a relative secret in the private sector.” O’Carroll, also vice president of the British-Canadian Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said he will spread the word to businesses and chambers that the Commissionaires is a competitive option.

Return to work program

Joanne Bradley was devastated. In the midst of training to go to Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces, she got sick and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

“I was really looking forward to going overseas,” she said. “To me that was the highest honour you could have as a soldier, to be able serve your country, and so when I discovered I wouldn’t be able to I went through a bit of a depression.”

An administrative and finance clerk, Bradley thought it would be tough to go back to the military. “Every time I talk to someone they say ‘oh you’re in the military. Have you been to Afghanistan?’ I would have to say ‘unfortunately no.’ That was my dream.”

It took a while to digest the news but Bradley met with a military return-to-work coordinator, who set her up with the Commissionaires’ return to work program. “It will give me some civilian experience and help me transition back to civilian life,” she said. Bradley now works for Commissionaires in payroll and said she is grateful for the opportunity.

Bradley is one of many military members that enter the Commissionaires program each year. It is designed to match personnel who are no longer fit to serve full-time with employment opportunities that meet their specific need.

“Our policy is quite simple,” said Captain Paul Guindon. “We will not turn people away. We find them opportunities depending on their condition.” Guindon, the Commissionaires chairman, said he’s overseen 15 veterans entering the program this year in Ottawa alone. Every case is different, he said, so it’s important to be flexible.

Commissionaires signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November with the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Forces to employ veterans injured in the line of duty. Guindon said it just made official the Commissionaires commitment to the return to work program, which was spurred by Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan.

“Our mandate is to provide meaningful and rewarding employment opportunities to veterans within a nurturing environment; a mandate that is as relevant today as it ever has been,” he said.

Bradley is settling into her new job and has found the Commissionaires a very accommodating place to work. “I’m able to work a modified work day, which really helps a lot,” she noted.

The work ethic is very similar to the military, she added, which has eased her transition. Although her dream of serving in Afghanistan is now behind her, the next chapter has given her peace of mind.

“When people ask me now, ‘where do you work?’ ‘Oh the Commissionaires,’ I say. It’s something new to be proud of.”

Rewarding Employment

The Commissionaires’ mandate to provide rewarding employment to former military and law enforcement has remained unchanged since its founding in 1925. Opportunities in security, enforcement, identification services and more are open to all, whether they have served or simply wish to gain experience before beginning a law enforcement career.

Employees enjoy a culture that is caring and familiar, the agency states, reflecting the structure and values of its collective members. It promises the most extensive and advanced security training in the industry, competitive pay and job opportunities in every part of the country.

With more than 20,000 employees and 44 offices coast to coast, Commissionaires protect airports, sea ports, government facilities and commercial enterprises. Provincial and municipal governments and police use them to enforce bylaws and secure sensitive locations, provide identification and fingerprinting services, police clearances, pardons and more, the agency states.

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