Saint John police offer hands-on experience at diversity camps to recruit new members

As Saint John John's demographic changes, its police force is working to ensure more diversity within their ranks. 

Two diversity and inclusion recruitment events held in recent months gave participants a peek inside the service, motivating some to apply to join the force.  

Ashwani Kumar attended last week's recruitment open house because he's interested in becoming a police officer. 

Kumar comes from a military background. His father and grandfather both served in the Indian army.

Kumar recently became a permanent resident of Canada and has been living in Saint John for four years.

"Now my second home is Canada. So I'm going to serve this country," he said.

"It's such a rewarding job ... we can serve our community, serve our people, serve for humanity especially. And it's just the kind of work where we can spread love."

Staff Sgt. Matthew Weir, a spokesperson for the Saint John Police Force, said the community's growing diversity calls for a more diverse police force.

"When you are out there and you are performing your duties on a daily basis, I mean, it is not an uncommon thing to come across a language barrier," said Weir.

"I can imagine that if I were a member of the community being able to be served in my native language, that would go over really well."

People at the workshop watched demonstrations of regular police duties such as traffic stops, K-9 chases and forensics. 

Attendees also participated in hands-on activities, playing the role of an officer answering a domestic disturbance call, making arrests using handcuffs and developing fingerprints from a vehicle.

"Coming from different areas in the world, people have different perceptions of police and then they get to come here first-hand and experience what we are all about, and what we are capable of doing," said Weir.

Rebecca Lunchi, originally from Ontario, developed a fingerprint during the forensics demonstration.