City of Brantford Council presented two park patrollers with a Recognition of Achievement during their regular Council meeting on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
With their friends and family sitting in the front row, both Adam Shipp and Zander Rivers were called to the front of the council chambers to receive their recognition of achievement from Ward 3 Councillor Greg Martin.
Mayor Kevin Davis said the two men were being recognized for their commitment to protecting the community.
Paul Wiacek, a K-9 handler with the Brantford Police Service, informed Shipp and Rivers about a missing teenager in the downtown area at approximately 9:49 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9, 2025.
“Given the circumstances, there were serious concerns for the young person’s safety and patrol officers, the canine unit and a drone had all been deployed to assist in the search,” said Davis. “Adam and Zander were provided with a photo and a description of the missing teenager, and immediately joined the effort.”
Just ten minutes later, at around 10 p.m., Shipp and Rivers located the young person in Victoria Park. She was in a vulnerable state and accompanied by a confrontational male.
“Acting calmly and decisively, Adam and Zander created space to ensure the teen’s safety, confirmed her identity and connected quickly with nearby police officers, enabling her to be brought to safety and transported to the Brantford General Hospital for care,” continued Davis. “Because of their alertness, quick thinking and commitment to public safety, Adam Shipp and Zander Rivers were instrumental in reuniting a young person with the protection and support she needed at a critical moment in her life.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
