FEATURE A Small-Town Police Chief’s JourneyFrom Recruit to Chief By Chief Jodi Empey, Smiths Falls Police Service My reason for wanting to write this article is to share my story, one that other small-town Chiefs who have dedicated their careers to a community they chose to serve will likely find very familiar. With the consequences of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, now being felt by police professionals across Ontario, it is critical for us to highlight the importance of supporting the unique goals and needs of smaller police services in the province. My career path was similar to many; I always wanted to be a police officer. I originally applied to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Service (RCMP) where my dad was a member. However, a friend had mentioned Smiths Falls Police Services was looking for applications. While I waited to hear back from the RCMP, I decided to look into policing in Smiths Falls. UNIQUE POLICING Policing in a small town is unique. As such a police professional, you do everything, regardless of rank. From making an arrest to preparing a bail package to investigating robberies, sudden deaths and even homicides, you are involved in everything. If it happens in your community, you are doing it. You may also have to relieve your dispatcher for lunch breaks, attend schools for community service, ride the bike and do foot patrol. Community policing is a way of life for officers in a small town. You could arrest a person in the morning and run into them at the grocery store by nightfall, or you may find someone stealing when you are off-duty and doing your own shopping. As the Chief or Deputy Chief, it is not uncommon for us to back our officers up at traffic stops or serious calls. When I started, I was trained in-house prior to the Ontario Police College (OPC). By the time I had completed my in-service training, I had already used my pepper spray on an individual who came at my Coach Officer with a bat. That does not happen now, but that is how it was back then. Strap on the gun belt and get out there! My thought about leaving for a bigger service changed after the birth of my son. In 1999, I had a son who passed away at only seven and a half months of age. I was back to work a month later. My life was in turmoil. However, the policing members and the community I policed in were unbelievably supportive of me. We launched a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) that raised enough money to have a pilot project for a dedicated neonatal ambulance, upgrades to a nurses’ lounge and parent rooms at CHEO. This small community has people with big hearts. I then learned the importance of the community getting to know me as a person, behind the uniform. Every police officer in our service goes to a school within our community on a dayshift. It is part of our routine. We have never had any pushback from either the public or the Catholic district school boards. For kids to see us in a non-confrontational way has proven invaluable. Some children have only had police in their homes arresting their parents, which can be very traumatizing. Having officers stop by during recess or at a planned event has lessened the anxiety surrounding police for those children. We have had parents whom we have arrested bring their kids to the station to see us differently and more positively. POLICING CHALLENGES Policing a small community can be challenging. My decision to live closer to this community had to do with being close to family, especially when my kids were young. The challenge comes from being well-known by people who support you, and those that do not. Officers policing a small community can feel like they live in a fishbowl. You want to support locals, and you do, but then you’re asked about investigations or something police-related. However, supporting the local businesses is important to me as well. It is hard to relax and shop when you are looking over your shoulder, especially if you are with your kids. My kids, who are now young adults, had great friend groups and were fine, but I am still on edge at times. Especially now with the unwanted attention of being the Chief. Some Chiefs like the public speaking and the publicity, but I do not. I took the position because I cared about what would happen to this community and service if someone completely new came in here. The relationships and partnerships you can make in a small municipality have been invaluable. Our community has helped us, as much as we have helped them. Personal relationships have evolved from our many Special Olympics events, visiting schools, numerous town community events and our Stuff-a-Cruiser for the food bank event; we do all we can to give back and support our community. Having increased opportunities for interaction with community members can also have positive effects on crime prevention, as de-escalation efforts play a critical role when officers arrive on scene. When officers in smaller communities deal with the same people, often the person of interest is quicker to settle if they know the attending officer to be fair and has treated them with dignity in the past. Having this level of rapport is helpful in high-crisis incidents, and can also assist officers in identifying crimes or situations that may occur in isolation versus those indicative of a bigger problem. As a result, our crime clearance rates are usually lower than those of bigger services, due in part to knowing who your offenders are. When things go wrong in the community, it’s the relationships that you’ve built over time that will get members through it. You will always have those that will not support the police, and we cannot change that, but if the reasonable people in your community know you as a person, they’ll understand and support you. Additionally, when you are the chief of a smaller police service, there are more opportunities to hear from your frontline officers about their needs and the community’s needs as well. We are all going to make mistakes or bad decisions like everyone else. Every day when we go out in public is an opportunity to break down the barriers and misconceptions that people may have of the police. Having said that, it’s crucial now more than ever for all levels of government to support the sustainability of small-town police services who put community and public safety first. Chief Jodi Empey is in her 32nd year as a police officer. She is proud of her team and the support they provide to the growing community of Smiths Falls. She loves to stay active in sports and is the very proud mom to a daughter and son. Policing is in her family. Her dad (now passed) was an RCMP officer, and her husband and brother are both also active police officers. Her mom supported all of them!