From a young age Const. Carla Draper knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life.
“Probably at the age of 12. The TV show Charlie’s Angels was a little bit of an influence,” said Draper. “My poor dad would laugh that I would one around the house constantly arresting him for things.”
She joined the Halton Regional Police Service in August 1986. Straight from community college at the young age of 19, Draper was hired as a police cadet and immediately placed in the drug and mortality unit.
“Only two years as a cadet undercover and from there I was assigned uniform patrol,” said Draper.
At 21 she went off to Ontario Police College, sworn in as a constable, and the rest is history. Her current role with the Community Mobilization Bureau in Oakville keeps her busy with crime prevention projects, home and personal safety plans and special events like the Canadian Open.
“I think they choose me because they know I’m not a huge golf fan,” said Draper.
“But I’m a fan of keeping people happy and safe.”
This Sunday will be bittersweet for Draper – it’s the last day of the Canadian Open and Draper’s last shift.
“Initially Sunday wasn’t going to be her last day at work,” said Srgt. Barry Hughes. “She was actually going to retire, I believe it was in February or March, and I had a conversation with her and I said, ‘Carla, you can’t retire. You got to do the Canadian Open with me.’
“And so she actually stayed on just to do the Open and her last day at work will be Sunday.”
“It will be a moment of walking away, thinking, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it’s over but it’s been awesome,'” said Draper.
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