New police recruit Const. Sarah Kristy gave an enthusiastic fist pump while reading the police oath during a recent swearing-in ceremony, an action that accompanied her ecstatic smile.
Kristy and fellow recruits Dustin Caplette-Tarrant, Gradyn Childerhose and Calee Sawyer were the centres of attention on July 16 in the newly renovated A.E. Peacock High School Auditorium, as Judge Brian Hendrickson officially affirmed them into the Moose Jaw Police Service. Afterward, family and friends had the opportunity to take pictures with the new officers.
The recruits will now spend the next 20 weeks going through training school.
“This day means a lot,” Kristy, 36, said afterward.
She switched careers two years ago and completed policing college in Manitoba, and when she saw an opening in Moose Jaw, she jumped at it, she explained. She and her husband are a military family — he now works at the airbase — and wanted to live in the heart of Canada.
Kristy has followed the Moose Jaw Police Service for the last two years and has seen the internal changes that Police Chief Rick Bourassa has made, she continued. That gave her confidence knowing she would be working with a chain of command that “gives a darn about the family,” work-life balance, and how shifts are scheduled.
The fact the community is safe and affordable was also drawing points, Kristy said. They have lived almost everywhere in Canada, which made it difficult for her to build up her hairdressing business, but now they have the chance to plant roots in one place.
Becoming a police officer will allow Kristy to show her two kids and other children that it’s possible to reach this point, especially from a low socio-economic background. While her mother didn’t think college was possible, her in-laws said they would support her financially if she wanted to go to school.
“So when I saw that tiger’s tale, I grabbed it, and I had great success as the top candidate in my last college, and I’m looking forward to showing that here,” Kristy added.
Overcoming challenges was one theme discussed during the swearing-in ceremony, along with serving the community.
Mayor Fraser Tolmie, chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners, pointed out that the previous group of recruits trained during the early stages of the pandemic. Yet, he reminded the four new officers that the police service wants to help them succeed even now.
Furthermore, the organization wants to care for their families, who, in turn, are there to support the recruits through challenges such as exams or fitness activities.
The recruits will be “stretched to the max” and tested during training since they will be tested on the street, Tolmie continued. Further, since many people in the community need support, the recruits will have to help them “through thick and thin.”
Besides welcoming the recruits, the ceremony was also about recognizing their character and integrity, Bourassa said. While they faced tough entrance exams — including aptitude and intelligence tests — what the police service wants is people with sound inner qualities.
Law enforcement is a small part of what police do since most of their work is to support people who are struggling, he continued. Police work in the margins with people who feel excluded from society. While it’s challenging to work in that area, it’s also rewarding.
“We are crime preventers, we are peacekeepers, we are problem solvers, we’re community builders,” he added. “And our goal is to continue building a community that is safe, that’s harmonious where everyone gets along, and that’s inclusive … .”
Judge Hendrickson echoed Bourassa’s comments, saying the best peace officer is not necessarily someone who puts people in jail but is a good citizen, neighbour, mediator, problem-solver and ambassador. He encouraged them to seek out role models in the organization, work hard and do their best to serve Moose Jaw.
