A career in policing may not be exactly like an episode of your favourite TV police drama, but it can be just as rewarding as helping those on screen detectives solve a crime in less than an hour.
Const. Stephanie McKibbon, who has been an officer with the Barrie Police Service for 15 years, tells BarrieToday it was the excitement that comes along with the unknown that initially drew her to a career in policing, in addition to the team work that comes along with being part of a platoon.
“It was just the kind of career — and very much a calling — that had all of the different components that I was looking for in my career melded into one position,” she says. “It’s very much a fit for me and what I saw myself doing for 30 years.
"If you choose a career in policing, you very much grow up in the service. You get married, you celebrate births, you comfort co-workers going through difficulties: it’s kind of that overall thing, so you really live amongst your peers and for me that’s very important.”
As the recruiting constable within the department’s human resources and employment department, McKibbon is excited to share all of the things she loves about being a police officer at the upcoming Women In Policing Symposium.
McKibbon says she’s excited for the in-person event, which will run Oct. 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Barrie Simcoe Emergency Services Campus, located at 110 Fairview Rd., given her usual recruiting methods have been hindered in the past couple of years due to the pandemic.
“We’ve had a very busy recruiting year this year. We have 14 recruits down at the police college, which is historical. We typically send four to six,” she says. “As soon as we had finalized those hirings, it was time to focus on the outreach again now that all of the protocols would allow us to have big groups together, so it was time.”
One of the main reasons McKibbon opted to host the symposium at this time is because of the leadership the department has in place.
“We have females in the chief position, inspector, staff and throughout every rank within the service. I think it’s a really unique opportunity for them to share their story and plant those little seeds in the minds of the attendees who are perhaps considering a career in policing,” she says. “Hopefully it resonates with them and they can see, through the speakers, how very different their career paths have been in comparison to one another.”
Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood, who will be the keynote speaker, says a career in policing has provided her an opportunity to do what she loves: helping others and giving back to her community.
“I’m looking forward to speaking at the upcoming Women In Policing symposium to share some of the highlights of my career and some of the challenges I faced in the more than 40 years I’ve spent in policing," she tells BarrieToday. "Things have certainly changed for women in policing since I joined; women today are valued and essential in every aspect and rank, sworn and civilian, in a police service.”
McKibbon admitted the recruiter in her is eager to see great female candidates come to Barrie police.
“I am living it now and the rewards that come from a career here, and the self-efficacy piece that policing can bring someone is really important," she says.
The reason why this symposium is a “women-only” event, she adds, is because female candidates and female officers typically bring different perspectives, characteristics and qualities to the job, that is different from their male counterparts.
“Together with their skills and abilities and ours, it melds together really well and forms this great service we are able to provide to our community," McKibbon says.
Although being a female in a predominantly male career can come with some challenges, McKibbon counts herself as having been extremely fortunate to not only have female mentors throughout her career, but many male peers and supervisors support her along the way, and wants candidates to know that they too, will have support and encouragement from both male and female officers they work with.
“It’s not adversarial for a male co-worker to support a female co-worker in pursuing a promotion, or trying to get into an investigative position. I am seeing that support being there now, and even more so for the female officers just beginning in their career and trying to venture into different avenues," she says.
As for what she’s looking for in potential recruits, McKibbon says she’s seeking a certain type of confidence, ability to communicate and be engaging and compassionate.
"Compassion is huge for front-line policing and as you move onto investigative roles,” she says, adding flexibility — and knowing when and how to pivot in very dynamic situations — are also important traits to bring to the table. “When you put on this uniform, you really are representing the whole service, so when you meet with one community member, it’s leaving that positive lasting impression so the next time an officer attends a situation with that same person, it will have been positive so they will interact with them in a positive manner as well.”
As far as skills and abilities, McKibbon says there is no “cookie cutter” approach to finding a perfect recruit.
“Each profile is very different from one another. If you’re younger, or a mature candidate, we want to see both. It doesn’t matter where you’ve had your work or life experience, we just want to see that you’re able to apply those transferable skills into this role and really provide the community with the service it deserves.”
The evening will also include guest speakers by Insp. Valerie Gates, Staff Sgt. Rose Richter and Const. Elise Claridge, followed by a question-and-answer period and a meet-and-greet.
For more information or to register, email [email protected].
