Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Chief Hugh Stevenson says the death of Const. Orrette Robinson, is a “real loss.”
Robinson, 36, was killed in an off-duty accident, around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. He was driving his motorcycle home after completing a shift of dynamic patrol when the accident occurred at the intersection of Lyons Avenue and Farwell Terrace. Ontario Provincial Police are investigating.
Stevenson addressed the media earlier today.
“I want to start off by offering my personal condolences to the family, his friends and of course every member of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, who have Orrette in mind,” said Stevenson. “He was a vibrant young man, He was happy. He had an incredible joy for life that was infectious. He had
a smile that you would never forget.”
The Chief, somber and pausing at times to find the words, said some people seem to be born to be police officers and Robinson was one of them.
“There are some people who are cut out to be in this profession,” said Stevenson. “It’s their confidence and the way they interact with the community. He was everything that we would want a young officer to be. When he dealt with people, they felt warm and comforted and supported by him. He was exactly what we in policing want to show the community, that this is the type of people we hire. People that care about other people.”
The Canadian flag out front of the city police station is at half-mast. Asked about morale at the SSMPS, Stevenson likened Robinson’s to losing a member of one’s own family. “It’s no different than when you lose a member of your family,” Stevenson said. “He engaged himself in the community, particularly with local youth. He’d top his cruiser and get out and chat with these young kids who would look up to and say ‘See, I can be you, someday.’ He had that infectious feel about him. He was very good with people. He was warm, he was accepting. It’s a real loss.”
Robinson emigrated to Canada in 2015, after serving with the Constabulary Force in Jamaica for nine years. He was the first SSMPS member to ever earn class valedictorian honors at the Ontario Police College.
Stevenson said SSMPS will “do everything possible” to support Robinson’s family and vowed to honor him in a manner that will make Robinson family proud.
The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the collision which took place around 8:30 p.m. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or has security camera or dash camera footage of the collision, is asked to contact Provincial Constable Aaron Greco Traffic Incident Management Enforcement Team, Highway Safety Division by calling the OPP’s Sault Ste. Marie Detachment at (705) 945-6833 and leave a message.
