Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) and Durham Regional Police Canine Unit yesterday unveiled its new and improved Mitch Marner themed canine apprehension training suit.
Mitch is a Canadian ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Unfortunately, due to a fire in the summer of 2023, the original autographed Marner suit was destroyed. After the loss, the Marner Assist Foundation proactively reached out to our Unit and offered to replace the original signed training suit,” said a DRPS statement.
“In an effort to express our gratitude to Mitch, his family and the Marner Assist Foundation, the unit re-designed the replacement suit to loosely replicate a Marner Jersey. With the hopes of improving the appearance of the new suit, the K9 Unit reached out to the suit manufacturer and provided them with custom made numbers and name patches to help replicate Mitch’s jersey,” it added.
Over the years, the original autographed Marner Suit has established itself as a popular ‘Show and Tell’ piece used by Handlers during dozens of community events and presentations.
Last summer, two members of the Canine Unit, along with PSD Klutch and PSD Rogue, were invited to reconnect with Mitch Marner and had the opportunity to meet with Mitch to have him personally autograph the improved training suit.
“As a token of our appreciation, our canine handlers presented Mitch with DRPS’ Canine Unit’s uniform, patch and an official Canine Unit dog leash to be used to walk Mitch’s own dog, Zeus,” said the DRPS. See image below.
The unit and service both thanked Mitch, his family and the Marner Assist Foundation, for its generous equipment contribution and for its ongoing support for youth.
The goal of the Marner Assist Foundation is to generate sustainable change for children and youth by providing resources that will make a significant impact on their lives. The focus is to provide assistance in the areas of children’s social care, health, education as well as supporting environmental causes to ensure our children have a sustainable future. For more information, please visit www.marnerassistfoundation.com.
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