In a field still dominated by men, female St. Clair College students looking to buck that trend got a "women only" experience at a recent policing symposium hosted at York University in Toronto.
In early November, five young women from the Police Foundations - Fast Track program at St. Clair's Chatham Campus attended the symposium, where they had an opportunity to speak with the lead recruiter for the service, receive mentoring sessions with women officers and observe several of the York Regional Police specialty teams in action.
St. Clair College students Jocelyn Tapak, Anna Stoica, Katelyn Hutten, Ayla Mailloux, and Ciara Klassen attend the women only' symposium with York Regional Police in early November, 2024. (Scott Braun/St. Clair College)
Attendees were exposed to the policing industry and the many paths' individuals can take, whether in an officer or civilian role.
"Meeting with the York Reginal Police opened my mind to the variety of locations and units offered by policing everywhere, proving there are many different opportunities available to us all over Canada," said Jocelyn Tapak, a student in the Police Foundations-Fast Track program in Chatham. "York Reginal Police also focused on the fact that the police forces don't look for people to fill out the uniform, they look for people who fill out their mission and values."
Tapak said her education at St. Clair has prepared her for almost everything she needs to know before she's hired and allows her to build a team with classmates, and at times, take a leadership role.
"The biggest benefit of our program at St. Clair is that the majority of our professors have real-life experience with policing, which allows students to open their minds and gain experiences and knowledge pertaining to life and a career as a police officer," Tapak said.
The students who attended the symposium had the opportunity to listen to a panel of six inspiring female officers who generously gave their time to speak about what it's like being a woman officer in a male-dominated career.
"We learned the importance of having a life outside of your career, surrounding yourself with friends and family who are not police officers, and that you don't need to become someone else when you become an officer," said Katelyn Hutten, a student in the Police Foundations program. "Being you is what sets you apart from the others and can make you a great asset to your team."
They were also given a first-hand look at the many units within the police service, including the homicide unit, missing persons, emergency response unit, K-9 unit, forensics and many more.
Hutten said she hopes to one day work in the K-9 unit within a police service.
"This conference gave me an excellent understanding of what York Regional Police has to offer, and what it's like being a female officer," said Hutten. "Being at St. Clair College and taking Police Foundations is a huge benefit to preparing me for a future career in law enforcement, where we learn about ethical decision making, working as a team, the law and criminal code, psychology, and most importantly fitness."
"I am getting into shape and taking various police fitness tests to prepare myself for a future career in law enforcement," Hutten said.
Fellow student Ciara Klassen said the symposium opened her eyes to the different career paths, which is not just limited to being a patrol officer.
"I appreciated all the information I learned about all these units and the resources and equipment they use," said Klassen. "I got to see their guns, pry bars, vehicles, and most importantly I got to meet fellow officers. It was amazing to hear from the different women and their experiences at York and the benefits that outweigh the challenges that come with being a woman in the force."
Scott Braun, an instructor in Police Foundations, said he's proud of the students for taking the initiative to attend the conference, on their own dime and time.
"It is networking opportunities with industry partners such as this that provides our students with more insight and motivation towards a career in law enforcement in general, and policing in particular," said Braun. "It also allows those prospective employers a preview of the quality applicants that graduate from St. Clair College in Chatham every year."
