RCMP supt. comments are “shameful”: police psychologist
Posted July 19, 2012 10:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Be “resilient,” rely on your “inner strength”; BC’s top recruiter for the RCMP suggests women need to be tough to work for the Mounties.
Superintendent Maria Nickel also claims the recent lawsuits and accusations of sexual harassment in the force are not turning women away from careers policing, with the number of female recruits actually up in the last fiscal year.
“Really, you are going into a predominantly-male environment and… you need to rely on that inner strength that we all have, and to put that to your advantage when you are in any work situation,” she tells the Vancouver Sun.
“Let’s face it, you could work for a bank somewhere and be subjected to some form of harassment. You need to be able to have that strength to deal with it. I think the bulk of the ladies who are coming out as applicants realize that,” she goes on to say.
“You can either let yourself be a victim of it, if you will, or you can rely on that inner strength to say, ‘No, you know, my intention is that I am going to succeed’.”
Police psychologist Dr. Mike Webster calls the statement a slap in the face for female Mounties. “It’s shameful for her to come out and say something like this.”
Webster feels the RCMP is downplaying the attitudes women face in the force.
“It’s a grin-and-bear-it kind of statement and of course, that’s what’s going to come from inside the organization,” he tells News1130.
“What she’s saying, if you take this to the logical extreme, is ‘Yeah, it’s bad; it’s not a place for women to work. It’s dangerous, but grin and bear it, girls — you’ll be fine,'” argues Webster.
Maria Nickel sent News1130 an email several hours after our story was published:
“Its also worth noting that, while a degree of toughness may be required for any police officer, male or female, the RCMP focuses on the values of the applicants. If someone is honest, compassionate, professional, accountable and respectful, they would have a great career with the RCMP.”
“The RCMP is a terrific career and I would do the 35 years all over again in a heartbeat!!”
Yesterday, the RCMP made a sweeping denial of claims of sexual harassment by Corporal Catherine Galliford. The force is facing a number of lawsuits from current and former officers and employees.
