The Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police (SACP) has recognized Moose Jaw’s Sgt. Sheldon MacNaughton with the Excellence in Policing Performance Award — something he should have received last year.
Rick Bourassa, police chief for the Moose Jaw Police Service and president of SACP, made the presentation during the March 9 Board of Police Commissioners meeting.
MacNaughton has performed “some really outstanding work” and would have been given the award during the annual SACP mess dinner that would have been held in Moose Jaw in 2020 — but “something called the pandemic occurred” that prevented any gatherings from happenings, Bourassa said.
Rather than presenting the awards during the annual dinner, SACP decided that each municipal police service should present the award to its members in a less formal setting.
SACP recognized MacNaughton — who works in the criminal investigation division — for an incident that occurred a few years ago, explained Bourassa. MacNaughton — who was then a constable — received information that one resident was using extortion tactics against another resident.
“Sheldon pulled together an investigation that was really complex and spanned a number of municipalities,” the police chief said. “When all was said and done, the individual who was being extorted ending up being kept safe because the person extorting did show up with a loaded firearm.”
There could have been a serious encounter between the two residents, but instead, the person allegedly extorting came face to face with police officers, who took the firearm and arrested the individual, Bourassa continued. That person has now gone through the court system.
“Just some outstanding work that protected life and extended across the significant portion of the province. Just due diligence, good policing, and good problem-solving,” the police chief said, adding MacNaughton also heads up the police service’s child exploitation unit.
The next Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting is Tuesday, April 13.
