The two Island officers received the national honour from Gov. Gen. David Johnston at ceremony Friday at Ottawa’s Rideau Hall. This year, 61 police force members from across Canada were named to the three levels — member, officer and commander — of the Order of Merit.
The award was established in 2000 to recognize exceptional long-term service.
A police officer for 23 years, Chicorelli is an explosives specialist who has also worked as a police-dog expert and crisis negotiator for the Emergency Response Team.
Hames served for almost 25 years with the RCMP before becoming Central Saanich’s chief constable in 1999. — Times Colonist
