REGINA – Five men and two women have officially taken the oath to join the Regina Police Service in an emotional celebration at the police station.
Dozens of family members gathered to support their loved ones as they took the first step in their policing careers.
To reach this point, the recruits beat out more than 100 other candidates in a series of physical and psychological test.
On Friday, they were sworn-in before embarking on 20 weeks of study at the Saskatchewan Police College with recruits from around the province.
“It’s an exciting day for me,” said 26-year-old Jesse Pentz. “It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited to start the next part of my chapter here.”
Pentz decided he wanted to become an officer at the age of 17, following in his father’s footsteps.
“I just saw the respect he got from his colleagues and the satisfaction he got from his career. I want that 30 years down the road,” he said.
Father Bradley Pentz will pass down a few tips to his son: “Work hard, stay humble, don’t lose your empathy for people.”
But more than anything, the Pentz family was proud: “We’re very proud of him. I think he’s enjoy this career, I think he’ll be good for it.”
Two of the recruits at Friday’s ceremony were women. The RPS has been actively recruiting women to better reflect the larger population.
Diversifying is something Chief Troy Hagen said is “still a work in progress,” despite promoting two female officers to the inspector rank.
Mandy Cleaveley was one of the women celebrating the swearing-in.
“I’m super excited! It’s really good to have more women in this career, just to show what we can do,” said Cleaveley. “We have great interpersonal skills and communication skills and we can bring a lot to the table.”
She took an interest in joining the force after enrolling in the citizen’s police academy. The 32-year-old mother is also setting an example for her three young boys.
“I just want them to be proud and know they can do anything if they work for it,” she said.
“I’m very proud of her, because she turned into a police officer to keep the world safe,” said six-year-old Brady.
Cleaveley hopes to go into the drug or gang unit in the future.
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