The Moose Jaw Police Service welcomed three recruits during a recent swearing-in ceremony, with the rookie members encouraged to be considerate and thoughtful of the people they will serve.
“The message I would provide to you three young new recruits is to remember to have compassion and empathy. You don’t know who you’re talking to and what they’ve been through,” Mayor Clive Tolley told new constables Mason Fischer, Austin Abbott and Eric Giroux during the Jan. 6 ceremony at the Temple Gardens Hotel and Spa.
Besides those attributes, the mayor — representing the city and the Board of Police Commissioners — encouraged the recruits to be lifelong learners. While they will learn plenty during police college and future courses, they will also gain experience on the job by attempting to find the truth in different situations.
Tolley added that the recruits should never be afraid to ask veteran officers for help.
The mayor’s message rang true for Fischer, who said he was drawn to policing because he’s never been a fan of bullies and has always enjoyed helping others.
“So being able to do that (help others) in my career is a huge blessing that I’m able to provide now, and being able to jump it in in a community like Moose Jaw is fantastic,” he remarked.
Fischer felt many emotions but thought going through police college for the next 20 weeks would be easier with Abbott and Giroux beside him. The reality of becoming a police officer wouldn’t sink in until he received his police badge, which would indicate that his hard work had paid off.
Fischer was born in Regina but lived in Medicine Hat, Alta., for most of his life. He is following in his father’s footsteps, who served as an officer for 25 years. An interesting historical note is that his father entered police college a quarter-century ago to the day that Fischer was sworn in. Also, his dad is becoming a car salesman — Fischer’s previous job — while Fischer is jumping into law enforcement.
“So … being able to take after someone like him is awesome,” said Fischer. “… he’s a really good man and being able to follow in his footsteps are huge for me.”
For Abbott, he was excited to begin his journey since it had been a long road to reach this point. He looked forward to attending college to acquire the knowledge to help the community.
Abbott was born and raised in Moose Jaw and worked as a paramedic for the past five years.
“Why policing? It’s always something I’ve wanted to do since high school. Really thinking about RCMP and just never had the courage to take the jump,” said Abbott. “Wife (Hanna) has been super supportive … and with a little bit of get-going, we’re here to do it.”
Attending police college will be difficult for Abbott, who will be away from his young family for five months. He and his wife have a three-year-old son and a five-month-old daughter, so Hanna will have to manage the home until he graduates.
“But I have all the confidence in her. She’s a beautiful mother and very, very adept at what she does,” he added. “(However, I’m) really excited to help my community (and) support my community.”
Police Chief Rick Bourassa acknowledged that it was a long, gruelling process for the three recruits to reach this stage. However, that process ensured the men were ethical, had good character and possessed integrity. They will now be tested at police college and then again when they join the force.
“And our community will put you through the wringer for the next 25 or 30 years because that’s what the people expect,” he chuckled. “They expect our best and we will give it to them.”
