Before I try my best to answer her, you need to understand the answers are going to be subjective and others may have drastically different views on women’s role in policing.

Differences in opinion are a good thing and I’m interested to hear what other have to say in response to this email, so let ‘er rip with the comments.  Just keep them clean, please.

————

Hi Sandra,

For a long time now I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of balance a female police officer has to make while working.

On one hand, you can’t be ultra-feminine or you will not be taken seriously, but being a super cranky female police officer doesn’t seem to do more than enforce stereotypes about women in law enforcement. Where do you feel female police officers fit into all of this? What’s your personal stance? I’ve been a bit worried because it’s still my dream to join the police but I am 5′2, 120 pounds and I don’t want to ever come off as a joke even though I know there are numerous petite sized police officers out there.

Listening to a retired recruiting officer made me a little disheartened. He talked about what he “looked for” in potential police officers and mentioned that he looked for “strong, broad shoulders, someone who looked like they could fight me.”

But is it always about fighting and intimidation? To a certain point I feel intimidation has its place and looking tough does have its advantages, but where do women who are not necessarily muscular and “broad-shouldered” fit in?

I would appreciate any sort of input you have on this.

Thank you!

————

When it comes to balance, all police officers have to remember to be themselves.  Women are still going to be women, and men are still going to be men.  Each gender brings something different to the job and it is those differences recruiters try to expand on.  Overall, recruiters are looking for level headed, emotionally stable, fit people who are willing to work in a demanding environment.  It’s a little more complicated than that, but for the sake of keeping this short, it’ll do.

Now, about being feminine – you can still be a cop and be a girl. 

You can still have nice hair, wear a bit of make-up, and by all means, the fitter you are the better.  You just have to be prepared to get dirty and to not give a hoot what you look like if you get strung through the ringer.  One night on the way back to the station after a particularly long and intense call, my partner looked at me sideways as he took in my ripped uniform, sweaty face and the halo of blond hair frizzed about my head after some of it came loose from its bun.  

“You look like you’ve been drug through a knothole backwards!” he said.  And I did.  But I was thinking how we had made an excellent arrest, not about what my hair looked like. 

So keep it in check.  As a police officer you are expected to take care of the issue, not become it.

Also, there is about as much room for the uber-bitch female officer as there is for the woman who seems to have had a starring role in all those early-eighties horror flicks (you know the one – the girl who would run away, arms flailing, while screaming in a breathy voice only to fall over a toothpick and cower on the ground as her ability to save herself vanished with an audible *poof*).  Unfortunately, most police agencies have at least one police officer who falls into each of these extremes, both male and female, and the VPD is no different.  It happens.  I wish it didn’t.

Besides, cranky is just plain cranky.  It might make for a good movie, but in real life you won’t make many friends on the force (except for other grumps) and being cranky will only make your job much more difficult.  You can be tough but you must be fair, at least most of the time.

Don’t let your physical size become your issue.  Sure, being tall and muscular has advantages, but so does being smaller and more lithe.  You must know what you are physically capable of doing, and you must know when it’s better to wait for backup, regardless of your size. 

I know several shorter in stature officers, men and women alike, and here’s the thing about the good ones – they know how to do their job and they do it very well.  No one thinks they are a joke and their size simply doesn’t matter.  There are jobs where size does matter, but it’s less important in policing now than it was a few decades ago (perhaps when this retired officer was working recruiting?).

Every incident requiring a police response is situational and it’s most definitely no longer all about ‘fighting and intimidation.’  Yes, sometimes you have to fight but you must be prepared to use your verbal skills as well.  

There are many people more experienced than I who have opinions on this and if any of them feel like adding to this, please do – I’ve skimmed quite a bit (plus, I’ve run out of steam…I need to go to sleep now). 

I’m sure the woman on the other end of this email would appreciate it very much!

There is the need to be strong enough, fast enough, and fit enough to do the job – yes, you do need to be all of these things.  Different sections within the department have different physical requirements, with patrol, Dog Squad and the Emergency Response Team having the most obvious need for their members to be physically fit.

A patrol officer has to be able to chase after and physically subdue (if required) a fleeing suspect.  The physical test, which includes the Police Officer’s Physical Abilities Test (POPAT), is specifically designed to test an applicants ability to do this. 

A Dog Squad officer has the added requirement of being able to lift their dog over an obstacle and scale that same obstacle themselves, as well as be able to contort themselves into places where their dog leads them, whether it be a culvert, through a blackberry patch, or up the side of a mountain.  They have to be able to keep up with their dog, sometimes for several kilometers through harsh terrain.

Then the Emergency Response Team officer, who must meet all of the above requirements, has the added need to be able to carry X pounds of gear, various firearms, and emergency supplies/equipment while still being able to be mentally alert. These officers are held to the highest physical standard – as they should be.  Their training courses are intense (I can vouch for that, having taken part in one of the courses – the course kicked my butt, but was some of the best training I’ve ever had) and not for the faint of heart.

So, what does an applicant do to prepare themselves for the POPAT?

First, understand that you have to be able to run 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) in under twelve minutes.  You also have to complete the POPAT in under four minutes and fifteen seconds.  Here is a video of Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu explaining the POPAT and running through it himself:

How do you train for these?  Start running.  Time yourself.  Run the Sea Wall if you can, and follow the route the actual test takes – one and a half times around Brocton Oval, down to the Sea Wall, then West on the Sea Wall, past the Lighthouse, finishing at a big tree stump even with the North entrance to Brocton Oval.  If you can not run the distance in under twelve minutes, train harder. 

As for the POPAT, the VPD offers drop-in sessions for current applicants.  If you cannot make it to one of these sessions, then start cross training.  Do stairs, sit-ups, crunches and any interval training you can think of.  Train hard because the harder you train, the easier the test will be.

You do not to be a ‘naturally gifted athlete’.  Instead, you need to be a person who is willing and able to train hard, to push yourself, and to take constructive criticism about what you can do better.  One of the best feelings in the world is to know you have done your absolute best and excelled because of it.

Do you have it in you?

My colleague, who helps with recruit training, said the following question should be asked of all police hopefuls:

“Why do you want to be a police officer?”

Most will give the appropriate answer of wanting to help people, of wanting to give back to their communities, and of wanting to make a difference.  While all of these answers are just and true, and are all issues any new/prospective recruit should be thinking about, the real answer lies in how the question is answered.

There should be some element of wanting to catch the bad guy.

Yes, you read that correctly.  For all the political correctness in this world, there remains the need to put bad guys in jail.  To do so, a police officer has to think like a bad guy to catch one, and has to educate him/herself on how crooks commit crime, how bad guys flee crime scenes, as well as the patterns and nuances of actual crimes.  I covered this in some detail last year with a post about mind set, but it is important enough to bring up again.

Another question that any new officer or prospect needs to ask themselves is whether or not they are ready/willing/able to use force when it is required.  Much of policing utilizes an officers skill at verbal judo, but there are times when force is a necessity.

So, if you are a police hopeful, ask yourself the following:

• Are you ready to protect yourself and others by using the appropriate level of force to control the situation?
• Are you ready to use lethal force to protect yourself and/or others from grievous bodily harm and/or death?

This means looking at who you are as a person.  Look deep down inside. 

For all it’s job security, policing is a job that requires quite a bit of courage and a readiness to do battle if called upon.  You need to be able to step up and take control of volitile situations, verbally or physically, and you have to have the maturity and where-with-all to explain why you took the action you did.  You have to expect to be challenged, to be confronted, to be physically and verbally assaulted.

If these are questions you can answer in the affirmative, then law enforcement just might be the career for you.

Some of the questions I have been asked do not relate directly to the application process itself, but are about my experiences in the actual job.  Questions like “Do you like your job?” to “Do you regret ever becoming an officer?” to “What is it like to be a woman in what many still consider a male dominated profession?”

Hopefully, by reading this blog, most of those questions can be answered as well.  But to take it further, reader ‘Jane Doe’ (I promised I wouldn’t reveal her identity) recently sent me an email. A portion of her letter and my response are copied below, and may fill in a few more of the blanks I am slowly trying to fill.

Dear Constable Sandra Glendinning,

I am looking into a career in policing.  I’ve been to information sessions here in Ontario and have spoken to recruiters, but I still feel I am missing some information. I have all the black and white information, but perhaps the gray is missing.  Perhaps you can give me some advice.
Do you ever regret entering policing?
What sort of questions should I be asking myself about policing?
Every officer I’ve spoken to here in Ontario say “they like what they do, that there are good days and bad.”  They all say for me to go to an information session and then ‘we’ll talk’.
I know a supportive family helps, and I am ready to train and give 100%.  Cst. Glendinning, can you give me some insight?

Thank you for your time,

‘Jane Doe’

Here was my response:

Hello Jane,
 
Thank you for sending your email, and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
 
Policing is a career I never regret getting into.  I first considered policing after listening to a police woman speak about her job during a ‘Career Night’ at my high school many years ago – Thank you, Linda Stewart.  I knew from her stories and my personality that policing would be a good fit.
 
The officers you have spoken to in Ontario are right – there are good days and then there are bad, just like any other job.  But I really do think the good days in policing are better than the good days at other most other places of employment. 
 
Good days in policing are when a call ends well, when a victim is rescued, when a serial robber or rapist is finally caught.  Good days in policing happen after officers put not just their energy and experience into solving a case, but also some of their emotion and their heart.  Good days are when you really have made a difference in someones life.  The elation can last for weeks, and a ‘good’ case usually becomes a favorite to retell years later.
 
On the flip side, bad days in policing are, for the most part, much worse than those in other jobs.  Because of the emotion, blood, sweat and tears put into some cases there are dark days when such a case ends poorly or without the desired result.  When a victim is found dead, when a bad guy slips through our net, when an officer is injured or killed.  Those are dark days indeed.
 
Someone once told me that working in K9 would be an extension of that – as K9 officers we experience the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows.  I’ve been through both ends of the spectrum, and I can tell you the person who told me that was right.  Some of my best moments in policing have been experienced during my time as a K9 officer.  Some of my most difficult times have been as a K9 officer as well, but even then, I have never once regretted my career choice.  Policing is in my blood, and I could not imagine doing anything else.  
 
So when looking into a career in policing, you have to ask yourself if your personality is a good fit.  Are you able to think on your feet?  Are you willing to train and work hard and be a team player?  Are you able to understand that there will be bad days and that you will have to come up with a coping strategy to get you through them?  Are you able to understand that there will also be good days, and those days will be made so much sweeter by the hell you witness on a regular basis? 
 
The rules and laws of Canada are in black and white, but the beauty of policing is all in the shades of gray.  Your recruiters are right – go to an info session.  Speak to as many officers as you can. Try and get on a ride along (if permitted in your area), or volunteer at the police station.  Spend time evaluating your own personality, and if you truly believe you are a good fit for policing, then stick with it. 
 
Best of luck, and thanks for reading,
 
Sandra

It’s the gray bits everyone wants to know about, but they are also the bits hardest to put into words. 

It’s easy to explain why I gave someone a speeding ticket, or why I arrested a person for assault as those are infractions and crimes clearly laid out in our criminal justice system.  It’s all the stuff in between the lines that make this job what it is, and often, you have to have been there to be really appreciate the subtleties. 

By sharing some of my experiences, which in essence are experiences shared by almost all officers, I’m hoping to bring the ‘have to have been there’ aspect to a bigger audience to show that police officers are regular people who have simply been exposed to more of life’s underbelly.

• a number of persons associated together in work or activity
• a cooperative unit
• a group of two or more people with complimentary skills who are committed to a common purpose
• what you can expect to be a part of if you work for the Vancouver Police Department

Regardless of where an officer works within the VPD, ‘team’ is serious business.   The Dog Squad, ERT, investigative squads and patrol squads – all rely on their individual members to make the team function like the well oiled machine it is.

Take, for instance, patrol squads.  When a priority call comes in and everyone goes racing to the scene, the call will almost run itself if all those involved keep their heads and do the job they are supposed to do.  The responding officers are Jack & Jills of All Trades, so it does not matter if their job for the day is rescuing the injured, containing a crime scene or taking witness statements; an officer does his/her job knowing their contribution to the whole is an important one.

Thankfully, this is what usually happens and the bad guys go to jail. 

Another angle on ‘team’ – how different sub-teams within the department help one another and work together on a daily basis.  Robbery Detectives work with the General Investigation Unit, Youth Squad works with the School Liaison Officers, and the Forensic Identification Section works with, well, everyone.  Alone, each sub-team might struggle, but together they are very effective.

Here in the Dog Squad we rely on the Patrol Section.  As dog handlers, we often call patrol the bread and butter of our existence.  It takes the cooperative effort of patrol officers to ensure the police dogs are used to their full capability, and handlers do not take highly functioning patrol squads for granted – instead we fully appreciate what patrol does for us.  Our successful ‘dog cases’ belong to every member involved, not just the handler and K9.

This past weekend a friend pointed me to a video of the US Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon.  I had never heard of them before (shame on me…) and did not know what to expect.  The following video is a great visual example of how the success of a unit is completely dependant on the actions of each individual member.  To quote their website – ‘it exemplifies discipline and skill’.  I think you’ll be impressed.

In a clipping from The New York Post:

“The NYPD is requiring police recruits who have MySpace or Facebook pages to watch as an investigator sifts through their most private postings.  The measure is designed to weed out would-be cops who litter their Web sites with violent or explicit imagery, racist rants and any other material deemed objectionable, a law-enforcement source said.  Applicants Processing Division officers are demanding any recruit with an account log on to their pages, even if those pages are private and not accessible to the public, the source said.”

This initiative by the NYPD was the result of the department coming under criticism after inappropriate online comments and postings were made by a few officers and recruits.  Since the online scrutiny has begun, several applicants have been denied for:

• posting explicit photos involving police uniforms
• comments or posts containing racial slurs
• comments admitting to gang membership
• photos depicting the applicant sporting gang tattoos and making gang signs

When it comes to the Vancouver Police Department, every applicant goes through an extensive background check.  If there is a need to check an online profile, then it will be checked. 

People have to remember that the ‘internet is forever’ – whenever you introduce anything onto the web, you have to use good judgement and caution.  What you post today will still be posted years from now, and you have no expectation of privacy when a comment or photo is posted on a public site.  You do not have to be an applicant to a police agency to suffer the consequences of having innappropriate personal information available for anyone to see.

Any social networking website has to be used with common sense.  If you have any doubts as to whether or not you should post a photo or comment, then don’t.  Facebook, MySpace and Twitter can be a fun tool (or so I’m told – I don’t understand the allure of Facebook, I have this blog so I don’t MySpace, and who in the heck has time to Twitter??) if used properly, but can cause disaster if used in an inappropriate manner.

As can be seen from the above quote, volunteer experience is very important if you are looking to become a member of the Vancouver Police Department.  Many of our successful applicants volunteered with Citizens’ Crime Watch - myself included.

Formed in 1986 to give citizens the opportunity to help combat crime in their neighborhoods, Citizens’ Crime Watch (CCW) now has approximately eighty-six volunteers who act as additional eyes and ears for the police. 

From the CCW’s website:

“The volunteers are trained and coordinated by a police constable who will work with the volunteers as they patrol the streets of Vancouver in their own cars. Each car is supplied with an iCom radio so that they are in constant contact with their own base radio operator and the coordinator.  They call in and report any criminal or suspicious activity.

Citizens volunteer their time to provide the police with extra eyes and ears on Vancouver streets on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year.  CCW members patrol as a team of two using their own vehicle.

Volunteers observe the activity around them.  If they witness something unusual such as an assault, purse snatching or theft from auto in progress, they communicate via iCom radio with the CCW coordinator, who is out on patrol with the volunteer members.  The coordinator will then initiate the appropriate police action.  Much of our recent activities focus on road safety and we deal with issues such as excessive speeding, impaired driving, unsafe driving and others.”

While I was in college, another student in the Criminal Justice Program approached the rest of us with news the VPD’s Citizens’ Crime Watch was looking for more volunteers.  A number of us applied to the program, were accepted, and started volunteering with CCW soon after.  It was a fantastic way to see if policing was the right career, and gave great insight into the workings of the police department.  Even though we, as volunteers, did not have access to police scanners etc, our radio communication with our ‘officer’ kept us in the loop.  We assisted with many calls – a theft from auto in progress, a hit and run (we chased down the suspect vehicle  and held onto the driver as he tried to flee – even though I’m not sure we were supposed to!), and we recovered several stolen cars.  For a college kid, not only was volunteering with CCW a lot if fun, it was very educational.

And sprinkled in amongst the college age crowd were the older participants; a retired teacher, a grandmother/grandfather duo, and a few middle-age folks wanting to make a difference in their community.  It was a great group. It’s still a great group today.

The need for volunteers continues today.  If you are interested in volunteering with the Vancouver Police Department’s Citizens’ Crime Watch, you must be able to meet the following requirements:

• Over 19 years of age
• Have no criminal record
• Be of suitable character
• Possess good driving skills and have access to a vehicle for patrols
• Have good English skills
• Have good observation skills
• Have the ability to assess on-view situations and relay details over the radio

For more information, please go the Citizens’ Crime Watch website, or call (604)717-3349, local 6002

Cst. X had learned and been tested on his knowledge of municipal, provincial and federal law as it applies to policing.  He had been taught how to use the equipment he had been issued, and had been run through a barrage of training scenarios before being approved for Block Two.  The night he came out with me, Cst. X had only been wearing the Vancouver Police uniform for six weeks.

Cst. X impressed me with his awareness of his surroundings, his tact and his questions.  He was eager to learn and was most interested in what he could do as a patrol officer to assist the Dog Squad when responding to a call.  As we talked about radio procedures, what to do if he got behind a stolen car, and how to treat a crime scene to preserve the start point for a dog track, Cst X asked what decisions dog handlers have to go through before deploying their dogs.  The resulting conversation covered a lot of ground, and neither of us knew Cst. X would soon be involved in a call that would demonstrate how quickly officers have to make decisions based on very little information.

As we were still talking, radio dispatched us to a break and enter in progress.  A home owner called 911 to report someone had broken into their tenant’s basement suite, and the suspect was still inside. Patrol units responded and contained the suite.  As we drove there, I explained to Cst. X several scenarios of what could happen.  The person inside could be related to the tenant.  The tenant was out of town and perhaps the person was a house-sitter.  The person inside could be a bona-fide crook, and if so, Cst. X would get to see Hondo in action.  Or the ‘person’ inside could really just be the sounds of pipes creaking, making the home owner believe someone had broken in.

We arrived at the scene and went to the suite door, which had been damaged.  One of the officers obtained the key from the landlord, and when we were ready, she unlocked the door and tried to push it open.  The door immediately caught on the security lock which had been secured from the inside.  Through the opening, I saw a man sitting on the couch – he jumped to feet, looked at us, and yelled when we announced ourselves.  He gathered a blanket to his chest, looking at us with wide eyes.  My first thought was, “Dear Lord, he has Down’s Syndrome”, and I backed Hondo off.  The man then tried to barricade the door shut, but we were able to force the door open, and officers moved in and took the man into custody.  

It was discovered later that the man did not have Downs Syndrome, even thought he had the flat facial profile, upward slant to the eyes and small ears usually associated with the condition (thank you KidsHealth.org for the information on the physical characteristics).  He was ultimately arrested for breaking and entering, and the investigation is still ongoing to determine links, if any, with the tenant.

Cst. X asked me why I had back Hondo off.  Even though we were responding to a break and enter with all the information leading me to believe the man inside the suite had committed a crime, I decided at the last second to not deploy the police dog based on my extremely brief observation about the man’s physical characteristics.  Turned out my observations were incorrect, but at the time, I did not know that.  There were a hundred other little contributing factors involved in that decision, and it came down to me trusting my gut instinct to back the dog off.  In this case, it was better to err on the side of caution.  Every case is different.

After hearing my explanation, Cst. X sat back and was silent for a few moments before he commented on how fast a police officer has to make decisions, especially in circumstances where there is a use of force.  I explained that each officer is responsible for their own ‘use of force’, and has to be able to articulate their own actions, regardless if their situation involved a traffic ticket, a hard arrest, or a shooting.  We, as police officers, are expected to remain calm under stress, and to make split-second decisions that could have life or death consequences.  It is easy to arm-chair quarterback these types of calls after the fact, but in the heat of the moment, you have to trust yourself to make the right decision.

At that, Cst. X took a deep breath, as if contemplating what a serious career he has ahead of him.  In truth, he does have a serious career.  He has been given a great amount of responsibility.  But if he is anything like most of the other officers I know, and I have the feeling he is, Cst. X will do us proud.

Let me tell you folks, such broadcasts are music to a dog handlers ears.

Because the car dealership covered more than a square block, I asked for clarification on which side of the premise the forced door was.  The unit at scene, a recent implant from the UK, was prompt in his responding broadcast, but due to the officer’s accent I did not understand a single word he said.  It was only from the upward lilt to the end of his sentence I realised the unit had asked me a question. 

Hmmm….I did not know what he asked me, and for a brief moment I considered playing innocent.   Usually, I understand an Irish/Scottish/English accent and all the accompanying lingo, but not this time.  Did I admit defeat and admit my interpretation skills were not up to snuff, or did I blunder on and risk the bad guy getting away?  After a considerable passage of radio silence, I finally fessed up and broadcast, “10-9?” (in police terms, 10-9 is a request to repeat the last broadcast).  The officer responded with a slow and perfectly enunciated update – “The breached door is on the south side of the building – do you want me to hold it?.”

Needless to say, I found the officer and the breached door a few seconds later, and PSD Hondo searched the building with negative results. A later look at video surveillance showed the suspect had been in and out before the alarm had even sounded, and he was long gone before police arrived onscene…but I digress…

I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside several officers who have previous experience policing in the UK.   One helped me search a car dealership, one dug my two-wheel drive Tahoe out of the snow last winter (for which I still owe him a coffee), one is now a Sgt i/c of the Public Order unit (of which Hondo and I are a part of) and another trained alongside me as we went through the four week ERT course.  All have been very good at their jobs, and each have brought their UK experiences with them – to our benefit.

Curious as to how they decided to come to Canada, I asked the Recruiting Unit what an officer from overseas had to qualify in to become a member of the VPD.  The answer was this – an officer from a country other than Canada HAS to have their permanent resident status confirmed and in place before the Vancouver Police Department will even entertain their application.  And then, the officer-from-another-country must go through the same steps as any other applicant – exam, physical test, medical, assessment center, background check and interview. 

Policing in the UK is different that Canadian policing.  For one, the majority of UK officers are not issued guns – there are specialized firearm units who respond to calls where an armed response is appropriate. On the flip side, UK officers have far more experience than we do on how to handle riot/crowd situations.  In a recent training day with the Public Order Unit, PSD Hondo and learned about crowd dynamics.  Pretty amazing stuff – where the UK officers have experience being struck with Molotov cocktails, we do not (thank goodness).  Is it because of their different society?  I’m not sure – I’ll leave that subject for the social structure experts.  But we, as the Vancouver Police Department, are a better workforce with the addition of our brothers and sisters from the UK.

• Thursday, February 12th, 4:00 pm, at the Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey Campus,          12666 72nd Ave, Room D128
• Wednesday, February 4th, 7:00 pm, Calgary, Alberta at the Delta Bow Valley Hotel, 209 4th Ave SE (yes, we recruit out of province)

Here’s an interesting fact you may not have known – we have a number of police officers working with the VPD who were originally officers in the UK.  With their wealth of experience, these officers have been an incredible asset for the VPD…more on them tomorrow. 

Also to come later in the week – I received an email from a police dog handler who works in South Africa.  He recalled an incident he attended in the summer of last year, and the story made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  He has agreed to share his story with you, so all of us in policing can learn how important officer safety is.

Until then, stay safe.

Sandra