RCMP hosts symposium in effort to recruit more diverse officers

Prince Edward Island's RCMP contingent is aiming to diversify its membership, and a symposium this week was designed to help accomplish that.

The event, held on Monday, brought together RCMP officers, graduates and recruitment officers to discuss programs aimed at attracting more diverse members to the force.

They include the Diverse and Inclusive Pre-Cadet Experience (DICE) and the Indigenous Pre-Cadet Training Program, in addition to the RCMP's regular member program.

One of the attendees, SreeKanth Mohanan, originally from India and now living on P.E.I., went to the symposium to learn more about these opportunities.

Mohanan, who is a social worker specializing in mental health and addictions at the Hillsborough Hospital, hopes to become an RCMP officer one day.

He said diversity in policing is crucial, not only to combat racism but also to better serve P.E.I.'s growing newcomer community. More newcomers to the province could mean language barriers or tension when they encounter officers, and in those cases, he said a diverse police force can make a big difference.

Mohanan thinks programs like DICE can encourage more newcomers to consider a career in law enforcement.

"I think if many people are coming from different parts of the community, at least they can set an example to other people to join," he told CBC News.

'Policing is built on relationships'

RCMP Const. Tim Keizer said events like the symposium are crucial as Canada's communities continue to grow more diverse.

"We're especially seeing it here in Prince Edward Island," said Keizer, who joined the federal force recently after a long career with the Charlottetown Police. "We're just trying to address these concerns and how we can have members that are representative of the communities that they're policing."

He added: "Policing is built on relationships, and I think that it's important that people feel comfortable in approaching police officers, that it's not met in a negative moment, and that they feel comfortable making reports or even just in day-to-day interactions."  

Opening doors for newcomers

Another attendee, Praneet Kaur, said the event introduced her to opportunities she hadn't previously known about.

I was looking for something to get more information — like in a face-to-face, where I can ask them questions, they can provide me the real answers.— Praneet Kaur

Kaur has always wanted to become a police officer, even before moving to Canada from India, and had been searching for information on how newcomers can join the force.

"For so long, I was looking for something to get more information — like in a face-to-face, where I can ask them questions, they can provide me the real answers. So that was [the] reason that I came here."

Currently a permanent resident, Kaur can apply for the DICE program right away, unlike the RCMP's regular member program, which requires permanent residency for at least three years.