Aboriginal police officer helps keep law and order on Edmonton streets

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For 39-year-old Sharon Bourque, a genuine love for her challenging job is why she looks forward to going to work each day.

The warm camaraderie between fellow police officers, a supportive husband, who is also a police officer, and a strong belief in herself to do the job right makes her role as an Edmonton Police Service officer all the more enjoyable.

"I like the challenges. I like the calls. Each call can be different. Ultimately, once I'm in the police car, and I drive out of the lot in the station and I'm starting to work, I look forward to doing the job. I do not regret the profession that I'm in or for making the choice to join the police force," she said.

She credits her colleagues for being supportive and the camaraderie at the station is evident during the routine briefing that takes place before each shift, one of which Alberta Sweetgrass was invited to attend.

"Within the service there haven't been any problems of me being Aboriginal. The service is very accepting of all people of all different backgrounds. They promote that because the community in Edmonton is very diverse, so we want to reflect that. I've never in my 16 years felt racism serving in the force as a police officer or prior to that while working in the force as a civilian. I've never had that. I know who I'm and I recognize that I'm Metis," she said.

When just 16 years old and in Grade 11 in Dawson Creek, B.C., Bourque attended a career fair at a high school. It was then she decided to join the police service. It wasn't what she knew about policing that inspired her career choice, but her desire to work and help people.

"I look at that when I'm dealing with women who are involved in domestic-type situations in trying to guide them in making the right decision, which is sometimes the hardest decision that they have to make. I always like seeing the healing that takes place in their lives. They've taken back their power and they gain back their identity," she said.

When Bourque first graduated, she wanted to make a difference in everyone's life, but she sees that now as a naive attitude. Today, when she instructs in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) class, she says that if she can make a difference in one young person's life then she's done her job.

"Policing was not as community-based like it is today, when I first became a police officer. Back then it was more like a reacting style of policing, where you went in and if you had to arrest someone you just arrested them and then you carried on to your next call," she said.

Today she uses the knowledge that she's gained from working as a liaison officer with Aboriginal people and she also uses the contacts she's made in the community to help her deal with troubled people. She says that there is a lot that she's learned over the years from Elders and people in the community. Being respectful of other people is one of them.

"It is about people, and that is where respect comes in. I'm not saying that I did not have respect when I first joined. I did, but I think I've grown to where I'm more empathetic and sympathetic. The respect is very important. I've always played and lived by that. It has to do with my upbringing, with my dad, and it kind of just filtered into my profession. I treat people as I want to be treated," Sharon Bourque said.

Bourque's father is from Lac La Biche. She's come to appreciate the values she was raised with.

"Today I look up to my dad, but probably back when I was a teenager I did not, because when you are young you do not see the things your parents are teaching you. You do not think about that, but now that I'm a mother and raising my daughter, I look back and think about dad and how he did things. There are some traits that I have as a result of his value of being a hard worker," she said.

While she is working and especially when dealing with Aboriginal people she is able to connect because of her commitment to her Native heritage. Withi the service, Bourque helps bridge the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people by sharing with her colleagues the knowledge and the tips she's acquired from her culture.

How she reacts to situations relating to Aboriginal people and sometimes even disclosing her Aboriginal background gives her the upper hand in dealing with problems.

"It is amazing how many times people will ask me 'Are you Native?' And I will respond 'Yes.' It seems to be happening more and more lately than when I first joined. People ask me where I'm from and I'm able to say that my father's family is from Lac La Biche."

Today Bourque works full-time and attends university on a part-time basis, where she is working toward a combined bachelor of education and Native studies.

Policing is not a glamorous profession. It is about dealing with some heavy emotions, volatile situations and detailed paper work. Bourque said she doesn't have problems with blood or viewing dead bodies. She had a good idea of what the job involved when she joined. She does admit that the hardest part of the job is notifying the next of kin of a death, whether as a result of a traffic accident or other circumstances.

"When I first joined I did not think about how hard it was going to be, so when I went to residence a few years later to tell someone they'd lost a loved one, it was an eye opener," she said.

When Bourque first applied to become a police officer, three agencies-Edmonton, Saskatoon, and the RCMP-turned her down. It was through perseverance and the knowledge that policing was what she wanted to do that kept her in trying to achieve her dream.

"I said 'This is what I want and I'm just going to keep going at it,' and if you really want it, it will eventually happen. I'm a living example of that. That is what I try to pass off when I'm talking to the youth. I tell them to be prepared that sometimes what you want does not come to you the first time. Don't walk away and say 'OK, I cannot do it.' Justkeep going at it and eventually it will happen. When you want something, you have to work hard to achieve it. As a result of trying, you grow. It helps you build your character," she said.

"I cannot stress enough about education. I'm a firm believer that if a person has another career goal in mind besides policing, to continue to get their education. I do not believe that you should put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to a career," she said.

"For me it is if I get up in the morning and I like what I see, and when I come home at the end of my shift and I still like what I see, then I know that I've had a good day."