Joining the police force

Women from various backgrounds participated in an information session to see if being an OPP officer is the right career move.

The Thunder Bay detachment of the OPP invited 12 potential candidates to a symposium at the North West Region Headquarters Saturday. The symposium gave information on getting started as an officer, what training was required and other tips when entering policing as a career.

More than 50 women applied to go to the symposium. The OPP took 12 possible candidates that were 18-years-old or older, showed high moral and ethical standards and were able to perform physical and mental challenges.

Ashley Olson, 27, graduated from the Confederation College Police Foundation program in 2006. From there she said she decided to get some life experience and spent five years working security and taking leadership courses in Australia.

"This symposium is just to give me more insight," Olson said. "I’ve been interested in policing for many years. (After graduating) I wasn’t ready. It was always about when is the right time for me."

Olson said she wants to specialize in disaster management. She said disaster relief would mean she would be deployed to places that were hard hit by natural disasters such as Haiti. Many of these skills require physical strength and abilities like descending from a mountain.

"I know policing is a more male dominated career choice," she said. "For the specialization that I want I know the physical component of it is more favourable for males."

Const. Coralee McGeachy, 42, worked with the OPP for 16 years. She talked to the 12 candidates about her experiences becoming an officer while being a single mom.

When she was first hired, her son Tyler was three years old. She had to complete a four-month course and left her son in the care of babysitters.

"It was particularly hard cause I wasn’t a mother anymore," McGeachy said. "I was separated from him and I didn’t have to be in that role anymore. I didn’t have a child to take care for and take care of those day-to-day routines. It was hard for me and it was hard for him. It was difficult to be away for that amount of time."

When McGeachy returned, she said Tyler always wanted to know where mom was. She said the OPP offered to pay for one trip back but she made most of the arrangements.

McGeachy said there isn’t special obstacles that women face compared to men when joining the OPP. She said female victims in sexual assault cases are usually more comfortable talking to women.

Half of the population of Thunder Bay is female and McGeachy said it is important to represent women on the police force.

Sgt. Darryle Wilson, uniform recruit for the OPP, said they wanted to bring up the number of female officers to be more reflective of the population.

"The number of females applying is no where near as many as the males applying," Wilson said. "Predominately it is a male employment and its been like that for years. We are trying to change that."

Wilson said if he is able to hire five of the potential candidates it would be make a big impact on diversifying the police force.

"Some of them might leave here today thinking policing is not for me," he said. "But others I’m sure would be longing to get done and apply and get an interview."