"Kent was an interesting, motivating and generous speaker. I have continued to receive calls from volunteers who were inspired by Kent to renew their commitment to our program."

Jacquie Rodden Yetman
Executive Director

"If sensitivity, competency and commitment to purpose were mountains, then this very special man's name would be Everest."

W.I. James Harding
(Chief of Police, Retired)
Halton Regional Police

KENT G. LAIDLAW, CTR
Principal - Kent G. Laidlaw & Associates

Kent Laidlaw's experience includes a distinguished career in law enforcement, specialized trauma response training and experience from North America to Bosnia (where he debriefed 200 atrocity survivors).

Honoured as the Canadian Public Relations Society's "Communicator of the Year", he is a frequent keynote speaker and has made hundreds of presentations throughout North America. Kent is an experienced Crisis Responder and one of the few Canadians to be certified by the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA) in Washington, D.C. He has been actively involved in the Burlington Bereavement Resource Council and was instrumental in developing a training model and video dealing with death notification, which is used by all levels of emergency service providers. Kent has provided training within police services as well as at Humber, Sheridan, and Mohawk Colleges. He provides training dealing with trauma, victims, wellness, and sensitive communication.

 
 
EXPERIENCE
  • Police Officer with the Halton Regional Police for 31 years
  • Retired District Commander for the City of Burlington, Ontario
  • Served in the Uniform Patrol Function, Youth Bureau, Criminal Investigations Bureau, Drug Squad, Criminal Intelligence Bureau, Duty Inspector's Unit, Courts and Community Relations Bureau
  • Commanded the Tactical and Rescue Unit
  • Executive Officer to the Chief of Police, which included command of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau, Research and Planning Bureau, Public and Media Relations and the Professional Standards Bureau
  • Former Chair, Criminal Intelligence Services Ontario
  • Senior Advisor on Policing for the Ontario Civilian Commission of Police Services
  • Founder of the Halton Regional Police Service Victims Services Unit and assisted in the founding of the Services' first Employee Assistance program
  • Consultant to the Chair, Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services
  • Liaison Officer, Office for Victims of Crime, Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario
  • Member, Steering Committee, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Suite, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital
  • Member, Burlington Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women
 
EDUCATION
  • Graduate of the Ontario Police College, the Canadian Police College, and the Emergency Preparedness College
  • Certified Trauma Responder (CTR) by the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
  • Trained "On-scene Commander" and Hostage Negotiator
  • Basic and Advanced Crisis Incident Stress Debriefings Certificates
  • Traumatic Incident Reduction Workshop Certificate from the Institution for Research in Metapsychology
 
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
  • Member, Nova's National Crisis Response Team
  • Founding Member of the Canadian Traumatic Stress Network
  • Past Member, Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Ontario
  • Charter Member and former Treasurer, Bereavement Ontario Network
  • Member, Royal Canadian Military Institute
  • Certified Stress Debriefer
  • Resource Person, Telecare Ministries of Burlington
  • Member, Fellowship of Christian Police Officers in Canada and the united States
  • Member, Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
  • Member, International Police Association
  • Board Member, Mission Services Hamilton, Ontario

    As a past Member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Kent has conducted hearings for victims of violent crimes. He is the recipient of the Police Exemplary Service Medal and the Judge Theo McCombs Award from the Hamilton Automobile Club for outstanding contribution to traffic safety for developing the Halton Regional Police Children's Safety Village.