Bruce Townley, WWC Ambassador, Calgary AB
Bruce Townley retired in 2019 after serving as a police officer with the Durham Regional Police in Ontario for 32 years. He and his wife make their home in Cochrane, Alberta. His accomplishments as a senior officer for more than 13 years include being part of the team that opened the new Durham Court House, several high-profile criminal investigations including Project Mansfield that uncovered an international human smuggling ring out of Europe, and Project Lakeland that resulted in the takedown of an international high-end car theft ring.
In 2006 Bruce established the Mental Health Support Program with Durham Regional Police and key clinical and community partners. The program has been recognized as the gold standard in Ontario.
In late 2015, Bruce returned to overseeing the Mental Health Support Program. After a fulsome review, he oversaw the service’s transition in collaboration with a local mental health clinical facility and the Ministry of Health with the goal of creating an elite team that addressed the growing complexity of mental health calls in Durham Region. He also spearheaded a national collaboration of health professionals and educators to address police response to mental health calls. The group succeeded in obtaining a sizable grant to help achieve the expected outcomes over the next four years.
In late 2018, Bruce secured funding to implement a mobile team with focus on the vulnerable including elderly, mentally ill and homeless residents of Durham Region. The results have been overwhelming having assisted well over 100s of clients since the fall of 2018.
Bruce’s priorities include building long term strategic sustainable relationships with community members and agencies in order to address the increasing challenges that police organizations deal with on a daily basis. He understands the need for clinical intervention and sustainable treatment programs having been exposed to a horrific event himself. In 2018, Bruce received a panicked call that resulted in the discovery of the brutal murder of a friend and her two children. He was diagnosed with severe PTSD soon after the incident, and with the clinical support of his doctors, was able to recover. This understanding only strengthens his desire to help ensure people suffering are provided the appropriate services that Wounded Warriors provides. #inthistogether
