Thirty-five recruits were sworn-in as the latest members of the Edmonton Police Service, amid a tragic scene south of the border that saw five police officers killed.
A graduation ceremony for the 25 male and 10 female recruits was held Friday at City Hall.
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Acting Chief Tony Harber said he addressed the recruits Friday morning about the shooting in Dallas, Texas. The incidents happened Thursday night during a demonstration against the police shootings of two African American men this week, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
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“I think it’s something we think about all the time,” he said about the hazards of the job.
Harber does not think gun violence in Canada is escalating but he did admit there are more weapons on the streets.
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“There are certainly more guns, but it’s nothing at all like what’s being experienced south of the border,” he said.
“It’s a completely, completely different environment than the one Dallas police are working in.”
Harber said the main difference is people in Canada are not allowed to openly carry firearms.
Mark Eversley said he became a police officer to better serve his community.
“I felt this was a good chance to help people so here I am,” he said.
Eversley said the shootings in Dallas were on his mind as he and his colleagues were sworn in.
“It’s always in my thoughts. You never want this to happen. It’s a pretty bad tragedy but this is the risk that we take being police officers,” he said.
“I feel we are in a position to protect the people who can’t protect themselves. This is why we are here. [The shootings in Dallas] don’t change what I’m here to do.”
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