Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement (AWLE) 18th Annual Training Conference, Fredericton, NB, October19-22, 2010 end of conference report.
Another tremendously successful training conference was hosted by the Fredericton Police Force this year boasting 91 delegates in attendance! The line up of speakers kept the audience captivated for the duration of the conference. All speakers provided a forum for the delegates to reflect on the theme of the conference: “ Your Career- Your Way “ and prompted a number of discussions between the presenters and the attendees.
Dr. Kevin Gilmartin, a retired police officer from Tucson, Arizona and currently a behavioural sciences & management consultant, was our key note speaker. Dr. Gilmartin sparked off the presentations with his humour and entertaining stories along with his abundant knowledge on the topic of “emotional survival for law enforcement”. Dr. Gilmartin had a two part presentation
that certainly made each officer in the room reflect on our own careers and lives which gave us some insight as to how our emotional survival with our job type is integral to our survival at home off the job. It was a captivating topic and presentation by Dr. Gilmartin!
Cst. Andrea Joyce from the Fredericton Police Force spoke to the group about flex hour options for women and men in policing. A new and upcoming alternative for officers being discussed by many police forces now is” job sharing”. It was a very informative session as Cst. Joyce has drawn from her own experiences and uses of the program with the Fredericton Police Force.
Kathy Watt spoke about “ Developing your personal brand-Significance or Success”. Kathy discussed :”…a reflection of who you are and what you believe, which is visibly expressed by what you do and how you do it…”. Kathy challenged us as delegates to think in new ways about who you are in a manner that is unique to you.
Kathleen Howard, a certified coach with International Coach Federation presented on “ Run, Jump, Fly “ as a fun, interactive, insightful self assessment of your leadership muscles, leaving us with a clearer picture of what we need as officers to pay attention to as leaders.
A Multi Agency panel had a very interactive presentation with members from the Military Police, Canada Border Service Agency and a member of Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Each presenter talked to the group about their agencies and their roles as women in their profession and challenges and successes and how they developed their own careers…their careers-their way!
Finally, the Fredericton Police Force Investigators presented on the Shila Bari Murder – a case study. This file was very well investigated and highlighted some very interesting investigative techniques as well as cultural differences that made the case study fascinating to listen to and learn from as Police Officers.
After the uniform parade through downtown Fredericton, the 2010 Banquet Dinner and Awards
Award Winners
Presentation provided an elegant forum for delegates to marvel at the accomplishments of ourfellow women in law enforcement (and in the case of the Team Endeavour Award, their male coworkers) and congratulate them on their extraordinary achievements! The following awards were presented:
Officer of the Year
D/ Cst Carol Campbell-Waugh has been a member of the Halifax Regional Police Department since 1989 and has just been seconded to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the first municipal officer in Canada to hold a position with CSIS. Carol was recognized for the many aspects of her community service including her contribution to several boards and committees, as an Aide de Camp to the Lieutenant Governor, as a member of the police Colour Guard, and a volunteer with the Canada Games. Carol has exhibited excellence in performance with her involvement with training and has conducted presentations on numerous occasions at local, provincial, and national levels. She is an exceptional analyst and has reviewed several department initiatives and made recommendations. She has mentored her male and female coworkers and has developed and presented a Women in Policing seminar to recruits and visiting police from Gambia and the Philippines. She was involved with AWLE for many years as an executive member and Awards Chair. She inspires others through her leadership and accepts challenges that others may avoid, is passionate about important issues, and is willing to help those in need. She is a responsible team player and has played an integral role on many teams. Carol is a very deserving recipient of the Officer of the Year Award.
Community Service
Cst. Karen Hemmens joined the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) in 1986 and has served in Labrador City and St. John’s, where she currently is posted in the Community Services Section. While in Labrador she served as an active member in the community and worked with numerous community organizations. She developed a senior’s manual, initiated a Crimestoppers Program, and assisted in the development and implementation of the Individual Support Services Planning Processes, to name some of the initiatives she has been involved with. For the past year, since her return to St. John’s, she has continued her exemplary community work through her commitment to various programs. She played a significant role as an instructor in ensuring that all elementary schools in the RNC’s jurisdiction received the DARE program. In partnership with the provincial Department of Education she developed a program to assist immigrant children to assimilate into their new environment.
Karen continually makes herself available for activities that benefit the community and has made a significant contribution to provide assistance to many vulnerable groups.
Excellence in Performance
Cst. Tammy Caswell has been a member of the Saint John Police Force since 1999 and has been assigned to the Lower West Side since 2007. She has been incredibly diligent in improving the relationship between the police and the residents of the Westside. Through her dedication and information gathering skills and her invaluable contribution in tactical operations and routine enforcement many major criminal operations have been successful. She has cultivated sources and has made connections to gather criminal intelligence in her area. The community trusts her and continually shares information with her, and combined with her investigative skills, has resulted in a reduction of crime and an improved police/community relationship as well. She shares information within her department and with other external agencies to assist their investigations in a variety of criminal activities. Tammy treats everyone with respect and with her contribution and commitment she has made a tremendous difference in the community and to her department.
Leadership
Cpl. Michelle Mercer has been with the RCMP since 1989 and as of 2007 has been in charge of the Recruiting unit in Charlottetown, PEI. Due to resourcing issues beyond her control she was faced with performing the duties of two other employees at any given time, in addition to her own duties. She handled many sensitive matters with applicants that extended well beyond the realm of recruiting, while dealing with her resource shortage and a physical relocation of her section. She kept her composure and terrific sense of humor at all times and her unit performed like a unit fully staffed and without incident. She has remained consistently organized and has ensured applicant needs are at the foremost of her priority list. Michelle has infectious leadership skills and maintains a high level of professionalism in all that she does.
Mentoring
Insp. Lise Roussel joined the RCMP in 1978 and is currently in charge of the Commercial Crime Section in Fredericton, NB. Throughout her career she has acquired the respect and admiration of members of the community as well as her colleagues. Her passion for Aboriginal communities and her love of the culture provided her with a great understanding and commitment that created sincere partnerships within the Aboriginal communities. She was involved with planning the first Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement conference held in 1992. She was determined to make a difference within the Aboriginal communities in her detachment area so she joined committees and attended various violence and abuse committee meetings. She was known as a police officer but also as a person in the community. She mentored a student for a practicum placement and provided her with various opportunities to gain knowledge and experience, which was of great benefit once the student was accepted into the RCMP. Lise also received the Mentoring Award in 2005.
Team Endeavour
The RCMP “H” Division Federal Enforcement Section, led by Cpl. Angela Hawryluk, is based in Halifax. Since July of 2008 Angie and her team have conducted a large scale fraud investigation involving several subjects and business. The investigation involved a Part VI (wiretap) judicial authorization, undercover operations, and nearly forty
judicial authorizations including one party consent, tracking warrants, number recorder warrants, search warrants, and production orders. The investigation encompassed the false registration of nearly five hundred vehicles, re-vinning, theft, possession of stolen vehicles, insurance fraud, prostitution, and drug trafficking and involved in excess of twenty thousand documents. The team created positive working partnerships with and had the support of various departments and agencies throughout the investigation, at local, national, and international levels. The section is composed of competent, knowledgeable, and dedicated members who have persevered to thoroughly conduct the investigation.
Congratulations to our deserving 2010 award recipients!
Thank you to the Fredericton Police Force and its organizing committee for a job well done! Please register early on our website for the 2011 conference hosted in Halifax, NS this year @ www.awle.org