Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald is the 2015 recipient of the Police Leadership Award, sponsored by Blue Line Magazine.
MacDonald serves as the public information officer, working as a dedicated police communications specialist for the past five years, but he has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most capable police spokespersons in B.C.’s policing community, said a Blue Line press release.
The award acknowledges that MacDonald’s work is now attracting attention across Canada.
The award recognizes and encourages a standard of excellence that exemplifies leadership as an activity, not a position, and pride in service to the public. Its goal is to increase the effectiveness, influence and quality of Canadian police leadership from both an organizational and community perspective.
MacDonald possesses all of these qualities, the release said. While much of his work is highly visible as the “voice and face” of the Abbotsford Police Department, he is known by his peers as someone who works quietly, modestly and strategically, behind the scenes, it said.
Among the many projects and initiatives he has championed, MacDonald’s public education programs directed toward gang prevention and personal safety on the roads and in schools have been recognized by the solicitor general of B.C.
MacDonald has worked with his fellow officers to promote positive relationships with the news media and, more recently, introduced them to the benefits of positive communication through social media, said the release.
He will receive the award on Tuesday, April 28 during the Blue Line Expo in Ajax, Ont.