From a young age, CORPORAL TRENT CLEVELAND knew he wanted a career in law enforcement, thanks to the positive interactions he had with his local officers growing up. In the last four years, as a newly promoted corporal, he has been thrust into being a non-commissioned officer in charge of four different detachments, which has given him the opportunity to exhibit his leadership qualities. During this time, he took on a modernization project for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP’s) Vision 150 where he successfully organized two detachments to amalgamate to share resources. These shared resources enhanced members’ work-life balances, improved service delivery, and decreased fiscal spending.

Cpl. Cleveland has a strong commitment to community policing and has devoted his efforts to bridging the gap between the community and RCMP. To ensure the continuous visibility of his officers to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cpl. Cleveland established several annual initiatives, such as a birthday initiative, a pumpkin-carving contest, and a holiday card contest initiative. The events were well received by the community, resulting in a parade being held to honor the officers of the Killam RCMP.

Cpl. Cleveland is a recipient of the Scott Burko Memorial Award for his distinguished contribution to performance management and has been bestowed an Honors and Recognition award for his dedication and contribution to the Eastern Alberta District. He was also recognized by elected provincial officials for his service to the constituency of his jurisdiction.

“Law enforcement is more about service to the community and its citizens than about enforcing law—it’s building relationships and providing guidance and support.”