SURREY Police Service (SPS) is rolling out the blue carpet to encourage more women to consider a career in policing with a number of women-focussed initiatives, including a new ‘Introduction to Policing Workshop for Women’ being launched this spring.

The SPS says that as it continues its hiring of over 500 police officers, which will include a combination of recruits and experienced officers, encouraging more women to join this traditionally male-dominated profession is one of its hiring priorities.

“From day one, Surrey Police Service has been committed to representing the community we serve,” says Novi Jette, Inspector in charge of the SPS Recruiting Section. “Women are traditionally under-represented in policing and, as a progressive new police agency, we need to ensure that all women are not only welcome in policing, but provided with a work environment where they feel safe and valued.”

SPS has already established a Women in Leadership Committee, which seeks to remove systemic barriers traditionally experienced by women in policing and works with senior leadership to ensure a safe, healthy, and inclusive workplace for women who work at SPS.

SPS also recently joined the 30×30 Initiative, becoming only the sixth Canadian police service to take the 30×30 pledge. 30×30 is an initiative to advance the representation and experiences of women in police agencies across North America, with a goal of having 30% female recruits by 2030. Presently, just over 20% of SPS officers are female.

This spring, SPS will host two events for women considering a career in policing.

SPS is a holding a Recruit Information Session on May 1 from 6-9 p.m. that will be specifically for women considering a policing career with SPS. Attendees will learn about the application process and have the opportunity to speak to female SPS officers about their experience in policing.

On June 1, SPS will host its first half-day ‘Introduction to Policing Workshop for Women,’ where potential recruit candidates will hear about the many career opportunities in policing, have the opportunity to try on a duty belt and learn about the equipment officers use, try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and much more.

Registration for both events is required as space is limited. A short application is also required for qualified women who are interested in attending the Introduction to Policing Workshop. Details can be found at www.surreypolice.ca/recruits/events-recruits or by contacting careers@surreypolice.ca.