“Val demonstrates care and compassion with the people she works with on the street, and it goes a long way,” says Cst. Adam Wood of the EPS HELP Unit.

Val has been with EPS for more than 30 years and has worked in many different areas of the service and is currently with HELP.

She recently received an internal customer service award for her hard work and dedication.

“In the HELP unit, we were given a caseload of the most complex individuals I've ever seen in my time as a social worker,” says Trevor Buttery, who worked with Cst. Hoglund through his time with Boyle Street. “Gaining trust and stabilizing these folks meant using some creative methods. If she thought of something that would help the client or build trust between EPS and the community, she would consider it.”

Cst. Hoglund was also involved in writing several books including After the Force, and her very own Police Pup Hershey: Ready to Lend a Paw.

“I know when Val set out to write Police Pup Hershey: Ready to Lend a Paw it wasn’t for personal gain. It took nearly four years for her to write the manuscript. She paid for all editing fees out of her own pocket. She did all the legwork to get this book in print,” says Cst. Liv Vors, who illustrated the book.

Cst. Vors explains that the characters and situations in the book were all inspired by Cst. Hoglund’s work in Youth Unit. Hershey’s message is one of perseverance, compassion, kindness, and mutual understanding. These are attributes that Cst. Hoglund embodies.

“Val has made a career of Community Policing, as demonstrated by her recent assignments to HELP, Community Engagement Team, Crime Suppression Team, Youth Unit, Diversion First, Y50, and many other areas,” says Sgt. Jacob Montgomery from HELP. “I can’t think of anyone that embodies the principles of community policing like Val Hoglund does. She’s one of a kind, and it’s been a pleasure to see her in action.”

Thank you, Val, for your long-standing dedication to the improvement of our communities.