On June 6, Kevin Walker came in to visit PCC. In the past, Kevin has been our guest talking about things like drumming and First Nations issues, as well as giving us a presentation on his trip to Greece. But now he has embarked on a new adventure.
Kevin came in to speak to us about his summer job - as a Special Constable with the RCMP.
In Canada, First Nations people are under-represented in law enforcement. This can lead to many problems, especially when non-natives are charged with enforcing the law in First Nations communities with a unique culture different from the police officer’s experience. This has led to the RCMP actively recruiting within the First Nations community, and Kevin was able to take advantage of this initiative to join the force.
But Kevin knew beforehand that just being a member of the First Nations community would not be enough. He would have to undergo extensive training and conditioning to meet the challenges faced by police officers in the run of a day’s work.
He was sent to Regina for three weeks of basic police training, which included conditioning and technical aspects of police work. As training began, Kevin was grateful for his hard work before hand as a Zumba instructor, which made him fit and ready for the gruelling physical conditioning. Many recruits have failed the physical portion of the training, but while he found it difficult Kevin was able to sail right through.
Among the first things new recruits learn is proper marching. They spend along time on the parade square getting it just right. And recruits have to do all their own housekeeping, including polishing the showers and preparing for meals.
When it came to learning the specific skills involved in police work, Kevin was given specialized police driver training as well as instruction on working with police dogs. Many of the things we just assume police officers know have to be learned. Kevin demonstrated for us how to “speed cuff” a criminal - slapping on handcuffs in a matter of seconds after rendering the criminal (played by Nils Ling) helpless.
On graduation, Kevin was sent back to PEI to serve for the summer as a Special Constable with the RCMP in the Lennox Island area. He is excited about the upcoming summer and hopes that this term might lead to a career in law enforcement with the RCMP.
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