Longueuil Conurbation police officer Lionel Bourdon is retiring at the age of 79 after a 58-year career. He was Canada’s longest-serving police officer.
Police officers from the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec and Longueuil underscored that achievement by presenting him with a guard of honor on Thursday.
“I didn’t expect that at all,” says Mr. Bourdon. I didn’t know anything.”
Lionel Bourdon began his career in 1965 with aspirations of becoming a police officer.
“I stayed on the other side of the police station and saw the police coming in at the beginning and end of their shift,” he said. Even when I went to school, I went back with them.”
However, he could never have imagined practicing this profession for so long.
“Usually a police officer can retire after 30 years, I was 30 in 1995,” he explains.
Over the years, the Sergeant has seen the profession evolve.
“There was the influx of women into the police force, on a technological level there were a lot of new devices,” he says. Working methods have evolved. […] The training is improved today, it is forced.
Even when he retires, his projects remain connected to his passion.
“I’ll try to travel a bit, but I’m very passionate about the Longueuil Police Museum,” shares Mr Bourdon. I have collected items over the years […] and it will be kept in a room at the headquarters and then we will try to highlight it by creating a museum.
Watch his full interview in the video above