Police chief to children's author, Devon Clunis launches new book

It's a world away from arrests and investigations but Winnipeg's former police chief, Devon Clunis, has found a new calling as a children's author.

This month, Clunis launched his new kids' book, which he co-created with his wife Pearlene, called The Little Boy From Jamaica.

"I would say it's all of our story. It's told from the perspective of a little boy from Jamaica who was able to achieve great things," Clunis said on CBC's Up To Speed on Tuesday.

"But I think it really wants to tell the story of the potential that is inherent of every child in every community when a community rallies around a child."

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When Clunis retired children's author wasn't his first goal. He said he actually started writing the semi-autobiographical story for adults but it was his wife and sister who said it would work best for children.

The new book shows the former top cop's humble beginnings growing up in rural Jamaica.

"They will see that the life I am living today didn't just happen by chance, there was certainly some effort on my part, but really the thrust of the story is that I had a great deal of helpers in my life," he said.

"I want kids to realize that there are many helpers in communities."

The story particularly focuses on a teacher who helped Clunis when he first moved to Canada and was struggling in school. It also shows other people who helped shape Clunis' life, a lesson he hopes will be understood by the parents and adults who read with the kids.

"I never thought I could be a police officer until one day I met a police officer who said, 'Devon why don't you consider becoming a police officer?'" Clunis said. "We can really influence lives and put it on a real productive path."

'I really wanted to set an example for kids'

During his time in uniform, Clunis not only became the first black police chief in Winnipeg, he was the first in Canada.

However, Clunis said his racial identity wasn't always easy, particularly in his youth, and that's something he also hopes to help kids tackle.

"This will be the first in a series of books that teachers and parents and adults can utilize to help engage kids in meaningful conversations," he said.

"[In the books] there are a lot of questions that are posed to the children and adults to create the right environment to have these real, meaningful discussions around race, around socio-economic status, really about the future."

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That's not the only way his legacy of building community will live on. Part of the book's proceeds are going towards furthering education in Jamaica and Winnipeg's Bear Clan Patrol.

"I went into policing because I really wanted to set an example for kids. And I thought it was great that now, post-policing, the first real meaningful project I was involved in was something that was for kids," Clunis said.