Another local resident becomes a NBPS Constable

'I can't imagine starting this career in a brand new town or city, not even knowing my way around'

The North Bay Police Service added another new constable and another sworn-in officer with local roots. Mackenzie Mills, a 33-year-old resident of North Bay, was sworn in during the formal swearing-in ceremony at North Bay city council chambers on July 8. "It's exciting," said Mills.

"It's been a long time coming. So I'm proud to be here." Mills graduated from the Police Foundations program at Canadore College in 2014 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Criminal Justice from Nipissing University in 2017.

She began her policing career in 2025 when she was hired as a part-time special constable. Mills says policing in her hometown should help make the transition to the new job easier. "I have connections in the community, and I've worked in the community," she said.

"I worked with the YMCA previously. So, I've been able to make a lot of connections, so that will be a fun experience. But also very helpful to know people already in my community; just being familiar with the community when responding to calls, I can't imagine starting this career in a brand new town or city, not even knowing my way around."

Jeff Warner, North Bay's acting deputy chief, says hiring constables with local ties has its benefits. "We try to identify people that have local connections, because they have the background in the community involvement," said Warner. "They have those community connections; they have friends and contacts in different organizations that can certainly enhance your policing career.

Finding local people is also better in that they may not be as easy to look elsewhere or return to their hometown, right? So once we hire them and we train them, we hope they stay in the community that they were raised in and want to raise their family here." Warner says the latest hire brings them close to a full complement of sworn-in officers.

"We have one more recruit that we are actively screening applications now and interviewing people," said Warner. "We're hoping to have somebody at the fall intake, which is in September, at the Ontario Police College. That should bring us up to our sworn complement."