Clark recognized for service as auxiliary constable

When a police officer arrives at the scene of a crime, the criminals are not about to check if they are wearing a little badge that identifies them as a special constable.

At that moment they don’t care. And at that moment the person wearing the auxiliary constable badge is just as much at risk of injury — or even death —as a regular cop.

Wayne Clark from Rimbey was an auxiliary constable for more than 25 years, wearing with pride his special badge.

He enjoyed the challenge of being an auxiliary constable, but is quick to point out the job is not without danger.

“I’ve had guns pointed at me and I’ve been in lots of scuffles. In that situation it does no good to say, ‘I’m just volunteering.’ To the criminal we all look the same. They see the same yellow stripe.”

Clark recalled an incident in 2002 when he and a Mountie were involved in a high-speed chase with a drunk driver. He said speeds reached in excess of 150 km/h on gravel backcountry roads for about 65 kilometres.

As the RCMP officer drove, Clark relayed speeds and locations to Red Deer Telecoms.

“The individual we were chasing eventually lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree. He got out (of his vehicle) and ran into the trees. After several minutes of searching for the fellow we got on the loudspeaker and told him if he did not come out immediately we would let the dog out. He yelled out that he was giving up and he walked out of the brush to the police car where we arrested him. He was not at all amused when we informed him we did not have a dog.”

In the 1980s Clark had a dream of becoming a RCMP, but he recalled there was hiring freeze on at that time and he was one of 143 Caucasian males to be put on a waiting list. So instead of heading off for training as an RCMP officer, he went to work for the City of Airdrie in the parks and recreation department and decided to volunteer as an auxiliary constable.

The position required a minimum of 160 hours of voluntary service every year and allowed him to work alongside regular members. He was issued the same clothing as worn by the RCMP, and was identified only by an auxiliary constable patch worn on his uniform sleeve.

During his time as an auxiliary constable, Clark worked in Airdrie, Three Hills, Ponoka and Rimbey, and occasional shifts in Sylvan Lake, chalking up more than 10,000 hours of volunteer time.

His duties varied.

“In Airdrie I did everything from photographing and fingerprinting prisoners to taking statements and guarding prisoners. At accident scenes I would often be assigned the duty of taking photographs.”

But whatever his duties were and wherever the calls took him, Clark found the work fulfilling and challenging.

“I never knew what I would be facing. You can’t pick and choose what calls you are going into. You have to take the good with the bad.”

And he gained a great respect for the RCMP.

“I’ve worked with some great members over the years,” he said.

Sgt. Mark Groves of the Rimbey RCMP, who recently presented Clark with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the Premier of Alberta and the Commanding Officer of K Division of the RCMP, said it has been a pleasure working with him.

“Over the years of voluntary service to the community he was involved in a number of community policing programs, assisted in guarding crime scenes, assisted with crowd control at large events, searching for missing persons and patrolling with members.”

Groves said auxiliary constables are valuable resources for the RCMP and Clark’s retirement has left a vacancy for such a position in the Rimbey detachment.

“They bring a wealth of knowledge of the community to RCMP members who are most often not from the community they are serving in.”

The Auxiliary Constable Program began in Alberta in 1978. There are currently 450 auxiliary constables posted throughout the province at approximately 102 detachments.

Auxiliary constables are required to complete 160 hours of voluntary work with the detachment for a minimum of two years.

For more information about the position contact Sgt. Groves at (403)843-2224.

Clark has been employed with Wilson’s Funeral Chapel & Crematorium for 18 years and is grateful for the flexibility his job afforded him.

“My job always allowed me the flexibility to be able to leave when called upon to assist members at any time of the day or night.”

Clark is also a board member of the Blindman Youth Action Society and Rimbey Neighborhood Place, and was the finance chairman of the Rimbey New Arena Society.

He and his wife, Betty, and their 12-year-old son, Grady, enjoy travelling, camping and boating.