THUNDER BAY – Four young cadets took their oaths and were awarded the official title of constable on Monday.
After three months of training, Caitlin Radcliff, Raymond Arney, Justin Fui, and Akshay Santhosh received their police badges.
Deputy police chief Ryan Hughes, of the Thunder Bay Police Service, said each new constable is looking forward to starting their role as a police officer.
"The class has been good. They've had a positive attitude. They've done well with their marks at the police college and they're eager to go out working on the road in Thunder Bay,” Hughes said.
Const. Radcliff said she is anxious and excited to “drive right in” to her rotation on Tuesday.
Starting her career in corrections, Radcliff wanted a new challenge, so she decided to take her passion for criminology to the next level.
“Policing is ever challenging. Your day is different from day to day, so that is exciting to me. I just feel like it'll be a really good experience and keep me challenged and learning continuously,” Radcliff said.
“I'm excited to just dive right in, which kind of takes a little bit of the stress off just because you don't have to wait," she said.
During the judge's remarks to the newly sworn-in officers, he noted that to become successful as a police officer one must gain the trust of the public.
“He brought up some good points just about community engagement and things like that, so I wholeheartedly agree with him that is a good way to instill and build trust in the community. I'm looking forward to getting to know members of the public on a deeper level,” Radcliff said.
Over the next three months, the new officers will continue their training through the police service learning the department paperwork processes, procedures, and implementing what they learned at the police college, said Hughes.
Hughes said the recruits will have a positive impact on the force by providing a “fresh young perspective” and adding to the service's staffing numbers.
With these four new constables, the Thunder Bay Police Service is at a full complement of officers.
