It is two in the afternoon, as Sgt. Laura Akitt takes a distress call from command.
“Will I ever be as strong as most men in the force, no. I counter that with my ability to talk to people,” she said. “There are other ways other than pure physical force to deal with a scenario.”
Akitt has been with the RCMP for 16 years. She is currently the dispatch commander for Fort Macleod. She said it was the daily challenge of the job that initially sparked her interest.
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“Being out there and being able to help people, providing that guidance and support in uncomfortable and scary situations a lot of times and I really enjoyed it.”
There are nearly 4,000 female RCMP officers across Canada, representing only 21 percent of the force. The policing service has begun a push to recruit more women in the hopes of increasing that number to 30 percent by 2025.
“Females do bring a unique perspective to policing,” explained RCMP recruitment officer Cst. Sheldon Arends. “When they go into situations they’re going to handle things, they’re going to see things a little bit differently than a male might.”
Akitt said some women might find policing an intimidating career, but that it’s quite the opposite.
“As a female in the RCMP, it’s a matter of knowing your strengths, knowing your weaknesses and knowing your capabilities,” she added.
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