Erin Fletcher
Northern News Services

Holman (Sep 08/03) - Cpl. Francis Cullen brings an unquenchable enthusiasm to his posting with the Holman RCMP detachment.

The 48-year-old started his career in Alberta and has more than 23 years of policing experience.

After serving a year in Holman, Cullen was recently promoted to corporal.

News/North: What do you like about being a police officer?

Francis Cullen: I'm a cop and I've always been a cop. I wanted to be a cop when I was 12 years old.

I still love being a policeman. To be a policeman you've got to like people. If you don't like people then you're in the wrong job.

Police work, to me, is a very satisfying profession. I take great pride in taking the time to listen to people and taking the time to help people resolve their own problems.

It's not all about locking people up in jail and going out and finding the bad guy. Basic police work is about the desire to help people in anyway and whatever way you're asked.

You've got to establish trust. And it doesn't matter where you work. You've got to show people you are genuinely concerned about the community and are willing to go the extra mile to help the individual as well as the community.

And at the end of the day, as a policeman, you're only as good as the community wants you to be. If you don't want to be part of the community, or you don't want to help the community, you're not going to be any good as a policeman -- or police person.

N/N: What attracted you to the North and specifically Holman?

FC: Holman was my first choice when I decided it was time for me to come North.

I researched the community by way of the Internet and found out a bit about it. It was a true Inuit community in the sense that people still lived off the land and lived in the old ways.

I was interested in experiencing that and interested in policing that kind of culture. I spent eight years in First Nations policing in the South. That was a good experience and I just wanted to experience the Inuit side in the North.

N/N : What do you like about the experience so far?

FC: The culture is different. They are a self-sufficient people. They are a hardy people in the sense that the environment they live in and survive in is one of the harshest in the world and they continue to thrive.

The closeness of the community is good. It attracts people and helps to make everyone who comes here comfortable.

The Inuit themselves are basically a friendly bunch of people. They are into the outside world and are consistently utilizing the ideas, the technology and the influences from outside.

They are changing their lifestyles to accommodate that. They are a proactive group. They are looking to get ahead, but they are also looking to ensure their own culture survives.

It's quite an interesting experience because there aren't a whole lot of people who are going to get to see this.

N/N: What's the difference between your former rank as constable and your new one as corporal?

F : Ability!

Basically, I'm responsible now. I'm responsible for what happens within my detachment. I'm responsible for the actions, reactions and the non-action for myself and the membership who works for me.

I'm responsible to the community and whatever issues might arise. And I'm expected to work with the community to resolve any issues they might have.

The liability aspect of it is that anything that does go wrong is my responsibility and I'm accountable for it.

N/N: What's the ultimate rank you wish to obtain?

FC: Well, Commissioner is already taken!

I was very happy being constable and would have had no difficulty remaining constable for the rest of my service.

I didn't join the RCMP with a specific rank in mind. It's nice to be recognized and to achieve rank as you go along.

Now I have been promoted to corporal I feel it's a stepping stone. I hope to achieve the rank of at least sergeant before I finally, gracefully, bow out and leave it for the young people.

It's a young person's job. It truly is. It's the job for the 25- to 40-year-old's. It's a demanding position. It's physically and mentally demanding and time takes its toll. And we get tired.

N/N: You're very energetic. How do you keep motivated?

FC: I'm happy doing my job. I'm not ready to walk away. Challenge doesn't scare me. Bring it on. I was described once as being tenacious and I took that as a compliment. I'll do what it takes to get the job done to the best of my ability. I take great pride in being able to accomplish and successfully eliminate or solve problems.

N/N: What are some of the challenges you've faced working in a smaller community?

FC: The biggest challenge I've got now -- in my mind -- is a distinct lack of resources. There are no support structures in place. Not just for me, but for the community at large.

We have a child support worker here and we have a wellness worker here on an intermittent basis. They are all working hard, the people that are here.

But they're out of the community on very regular intervals. That creates an issue because we don't have the consistency or continuity of a resource where troubled people can go and get the support, direction and counselling they need.

We don't have things like a safe house where families in distress can go and we don't have a victim service unit like they have in the South.

All those nice things in the South we don't have here. So that falls back on myself and the families involved to deal with it the best they can.

It just puts more emphasis on this office and myself to try and make sure things are done in a manner that will satisfy everyone involved.