PC Dwight Lundgren named Blue Line’s 2023 Lifetime in Law Enforcement Achievement Award winner

Blue Line is proud to present the 2023 Lifetime in Law Enforcement Achievement Award to Provincial Constable Dwight Lundgren of the Ontario Provincial Police. The award is presented to an individual who has shown exceptional leadership, dedication and passion towards their work in law enforcement for more than 15 years.

Provincial Constable (PC) Dwight Lundgren grew up in Rainy River, Ont., which is a town of less than 900 people. His first job was at the marina, where he met and worked with a variety of individuals. This is where he discovered that he had a passion for helping people.

A family friend of the Lundgren’s – Brian Majors – was a police officer who became a role model to Dwight. He played a large part in Lundgren applying to be an officer. “When I applied to the OPP at 19 years old, they told me I was too young and I needed more life experience. Brian was a First Nations officer, so that’s the road I went down instead,” he says. Lundgren got hired on at the Pikangikum Police Service, where he was a First Nations constable for two and a half years before transferring to Terrace Bay Police Service. In 1999, after seven and a half years with the Terrace Bay Police, he applied and got hired at the Kenora Police Service.

In 2007, the Kenora Police Service was amalgamated into the OPP, at which point Lundgren became a provincial constable. “I was finally able to make a lateral transfer with an officer in Rainy River in 2011. He was originally from Kenora, so we swapped places so we could each go home.”

A department role model

PC Lundgren is in his 34^th year of policing, and he still loves his job as much as he did in the beginning. “I’m one of the oldest guys on the road for this OPP detachment,” he says.

Lundgren is a role model to the junior members of the team, happily taking them under his wing and showing them the ropes. He strives to give them a different experience than what he was given when he first became an officer. He describes his time as a junior officer as a ‘speak only when spoken to’ kind of understanding with the older members. “Now that I’m the older officer working with the new recruits, I try to help them and be a resource they can learn from. I encourage questions. If I don’t agree with something they’re doing on a call, I’ll pull them aside afterwards to talk about it, rather than embarrassing them in front of others. I want to treat them better than I was treated, and hopefully they’ll in turn treat others better when it’s their turn to teach,” he explains.

For Lundgren, he feels the role modelling goes both ways. “I learn a lot from the younger officers, so it’s nice to know we’re all educating each other.” One of the biggest challenges Lundgren faces on the job is keeping up with all the new technologies being implemented, for example, the computers in the vehicles and the body cameras that will be rolled out in the near future. “Being older, it’s sometimes harder to adapt to the changes. The younger officers tend to know more about computers than I do, so I rely on their help from time to time.”

In 2016, Lundgren learned just how important being officer was to him, and how much he’d do to be able to help others. He had a slip and fall that resulted in a bad concussion and left him close to speechless for three months. “I was told I would probably never go back to work. I tried to rush my recovery, and I reinjured the concussion, but I knew work was where I needed to be. Now here I am! I’m back at work, and I’m so glad to be back where I belong,” Lundgren says.

A deep connection with the community

After more than three decades of being an officer, being out in the community and helping people is still Lundgren’s favourite part of the job. He’s seen a lot of situations over the years, good and bad, and knowing that he can help – even if only in some small way – is reassuring, giving Lundgren a sense of satisfaction. “Just seeing someone smile for helping them out goes a long way. Sometimes they even give me a hug. Those small things supersede the bad stuff that we must deal with on a regular basis.”

“He demonstrates care and concern for the most vulnerable people by providing regular check-ins on the elderly or home-bound individuals after initial calls for service to ensure they are safe and have appropriate support.” – Staff Sgt. Dereck McLean.

“Not only has PC Lundgren demonstrated excellent community policing, but he also constantly embodies this approach as he works collaboratively with the public and improves police-public relationships,” says Staff Sgt. Dereck McLean, who is Lundgren’s OPP Detachment Manager.

Lundgren is known as an officer who spends countless hours of his personal time helping those who need it most. He has purchased and delivered groceries for individuals who were unable to financially support themselves—a small act that can change a person’s perception of the police and turn around a negative point in their life.

During one well-being check of elderly siblings at a residence, Lundgren noted they had no access to snow removal and no working bathroom. He re-attended on his day off and completed the snow removal and ensured repairs were made. PC Lundgren remained a strong advocate in their lives until they were required to move into assisted living. “One of the siblings later passed away. After that happened, my wife – who is also an officer – and I would go and check on the remaining sibling to see if she needed anything. During one visit, I noticed she had some large wounds on her legs, and after looking at them, I called an ambulance right away because they were badly infected. In fact, they ended up being septic,” he shares. Lundgren convinced her to seek additional medical treatment, which prevented further illness and saved her life.

Left: PC Dwight Lundgren. Right: Sgt. Darren Hyatt. Photo credit: Regan Rotmark

While off-duty, Lundgren regularly takes calls from citizens seeking to report a crime or to provide intelligence regarding criminal activity. He’s even made himself available to speak to them about their personal challenges and struggles. Lundgren’s supervisor has stated he is impressed by the genuine interest and the care that Lundgren exhibits towards people in need. “His generosity and naturally supportive disposition exemplify the OPP values of interacting with respect, compassion and fairness. By maintaining a high level of professionalism, he has earned the respect and the trust of those within his community,” says Staff Sgt. McLean.

A shocking – but welcome – recognition

When Blue Line reached out to notify Lundgren that he’d be selected as the winner of this year’s Lifetime in Law Enforcement Achievement Award, he was shocked. “I was even shocked to be nominated in the first place. But to win? That was something I just couldn’t believe,” he says. “I had teachers in high school tell me that I would never amount to everything, and now here I am. Look at everything I’ve done.”