An estimated 6,000 police officers attended Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett's funeral.
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August 11, 2007 09:18 AM
By: Joe Fantauzzi, Staff Writer
Traffic. Parking. A huge procession.
All aspects of a funeral requiring planning for a fallen police officer — and all went according to plan, his boss said.
With Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett now laid to rest, more details have emerged about the massive effort behind what has been described as the largest police funeral in York Region’s history.
“It was an extremely large undertaking,” Chief Armand La Barge said. “It was large, not just by a York Region perspective, but large by a police funeral perspective. We were very pleased it went off the way it did.”
As many as 8,000 people attended the service — with between 6,000 and 7,000 being police officers from across Canada and as far away as New York City.
Police funerals are left to the discretion of family members and, in light of the circumstances that kind of decision is pondered, it often takes a couple of days, Chief La Barge said.
In Det.-Const. Plunkett’s case, a committee of 25, including deputy chiefs, superintendents, inspectors and staff sergeants with expertise in different areas were identified by the region’s top cop and set to work on the logistics of the funeral. Catering, communications, security and the preparation of the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex needed to be set in motion.
The hockey arena was chosen as the venue for a number of reasons, including its close proximity to police headquarters and being in York Region, where police believed they could more easily influence traffic flow.
There was also a sentimental reason.
“I can’t remember a more significant time in Rob’s career than the 2000 (Special Olympics) spring games and that is where we held the opening ceremony,” Chief La Barge said. “We thought, what more of a fitting place than the Ray Twinney Complex.”
Hospitality for mourners also needed to be taken care of.
Police officials from every corner of the province and beyond contacted Chief La Barge, expressing condolences and support.
Reached by Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino from Italy, Chief La Barge was told the province’s law enforcement boss said a prayer for Det.-Const. Plunkett in a local house of worship.
“You can’t help but be proud of the profession we work in when you see that kind of response,” Chief La Barge said.
Despite the civic holiday weekend falling in the middle of preparation, work went on.
A recruit class that started Tuesday was brought in to set up chairs and staging for the funeral. Those officers will remember their first days as police officers for the rest of their lives, Chief La Barge believes.
Civilian employees were also invited to march with sworn officers.
“They lost a colleague here, too and they are grieving as much as our front-line officers and specialized unit officers,” he said.
Word also needed to be spread that a moment of silence would be observed by officers on the road last Wednesday at 11:45 a.m.
As far as continued contact with the fallen officer’s family goes, communication is being accomplished through a number of Det.-Const. Plunkett’s policing friends, Chief La Barge said.
“Policing is a family and the family of police officers are part of that family,” he said. “Our involvement with the families continues long after the death of the officer. I say if you forget a fallen officer, they die twice. You cannot allow that to happen.”