RCMP looking to recruit

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Taber Times

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times
cparkinson@tabertimes.com

The local RCMP detachment may soon gain some new members if everything goes according to the plan.

After previous discussions with Municipal District of Taber council and the Taber/Vauxhall RCMP detachment around holding a recruitment event, it is coming closer to fruition.

“Previously we had talked about a recruiting drive and I have a date for that. It is scheduled for November 24 and we’re actually going to have people come in from the RCMP’s pro-active recruiting section to do this. We’re putting a very distinct spin on this for our area,” said Sgt. Gord Yetman at the M.D.’s regular meeting on October 9.

While the Taber area may not be looked at as a major recruiting area, the local detachment is hoping to change that.

“Normally presentations like this are held in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and what not. We’re going to make it happen here and open it up to as many people as we can. Hopefully, we get some good prospective candidates out of it,” added Yetman.

One thing that did need to be sorted out was where the event could be held.

With a variety of different locations available to host the recruitment drive, Yetman was confident they would find a suitable place.

“I’m not normally the guy who goes around saying I need, I need, I want. I think moving forward it would be good to have a facility, so I toyed around with the idea of where the best place would be to host this thing. I think right smack-dab here in Taber is the best place to do it,” he said.

CAO Derrick Krizsan suggested the Taber Legion which Yetman said he had been considering it as a potential host location.

They also have started to think about promoting the soon coming event.

Wanting to spread the word as wide as possible to find potential candidates, work on promoting the event is coming sooner than later.

“We are going to start advertising here pretty quick here too. We’re going to start with a press release in the local paper and we have some posters on the way so we’ll get those up and running. We’re going to make sure it gets max exposure so we can get lots of people out hopefully,” explained Yetman.

With November 25 falling on a Saturday, Yetman said they hoped to begin the event at 10 a.m.

Coun. Brian Brewin made a motion to rent the legion hall and provide doughnuts for the recruitment drive.

Deputy Reeve Tamara Miyanaga questioned if it was the M.D.’s responsibility to rent the hall for the event.

“We can certainly rent a hall. I feel that bringing a recruiting event in like this is going to benefit everybody at the end of the day,” said Yetman.

Yetman also stated the RCMP would rent the facility if council felt it was not their responsibility to do so.

Brewin stated he felt the drive was beneficial for the area hence his motion to rent the Taber Legion.

“I think it’s good for the community,” he said. “I think it is something we’ve been requesting and asking for you (the RCMP) to do the last few years so the least we can do is provide you with a location.”

With the recruitment drive, Yetman feels like they are providing a good opportunity for those who have wanted to get into police work but hadn’t had the right moment to follow that path.

“I think it would be a win-win for the area myself. At the end of the day, like it says on the back of our vehicles, we’re hiring. This is where we get our applicants,” he said. “We’re going to present these people with the opportunity and if they wish to take it, that is a decision they can make.”