Three new constables were sworn into the Moose Jaw Police Service in a ceremony on July 25, filling three current positions on the force.
Alanna Coghill, Harmandeep Singh, and Regan Pawliw swore the oath to serve and protect the community to a room full of people, with Judge Brian Hendrickson overseeing the administration of oaths.
Both MJPS Chief Rick Bourassa and Mayor Fraser Tolmie expressed their best wishes to the upcoming officers and noted that they all exhibited the qualities that the police force holds in highest regards: integrity, morality, and good character.
“You are coming to a very highly effective and professional police force that we’re very proud of,” said Tolmie in his speech.
Coghill has worked with the MJPS as a communications officer for about 10 years, and has finally pursued her interest in joining the police force.
Singh and Pawliw are just beginning their careers with the MJPS, although all three recruits have held an interest in police work for a long time.
Chief Bourassa spoke to the reasons these new officers are a good fit for the MJPS.
“Our selection process is very rigorous,” said Bourassa. “What we do look at is who are you as a person, and do you have the personality traits that will make you a good police officer. We look for intelligence, we look for empathy, all those different pieces. And what you see today is three people who rose through that and demonstrated that.”
These three also represent a type of diversity that the MJPS is looking to encourage in the police force, to better serve and represent the many facets of the community.
“We need to be representative of our community,” said Bourassa. “When we go through our selection process, we always go for character and integrity. . . but another fundamental part of that is people that bring a diverse set of experiences, backgrounds, that can bring a diverse set of perspectives that are a little broader than we would have if we didn’t look for those traits.”
The three officers will now report to the Saskatchewan Police College in Regina, where they will live and train for the next six months. Following that, they will join the almost 60 other officers in the MJPS.
