Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
Friday, January 26, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The RCMP is looking for you.

Relax, they're recruiting. If you can type at least 18 words per minute and can make it through a lie-detector test, you may qualify to be a Mountie.

Nationally, the RCMP is aiming at recruiting twice as many people this year as usual.

"We used to hire 1,000 cadets per year," said Cpl. Violet Pokiak of the recruiting section of the Yellowknife detachment. "Now, for the next three or four years we're going to double that."

That means the RCMP aims to recruit 24 people from the NWT per year for the next few years. Before, it was 12.

New recruits are in high demand.

"A lot of our members are retiring and we're facing increasing demand for RCMP services all across the country," said Cpl. Pokiak.

The application process for a potential recruit can take anywhere from six months to a year, there are many stages to the process, said Cpl. Pokiak, from extensive medical checks to physical checks to mental tests.

Candidates go through a polygraph (lie-detector) examination as well, said Cpl. Pokiak, to ensure "honesty and integrity." And they must be able to type 18 words per minute.

The extensive process makes Cpl. Pokiak's job even more difficult, she said, because not everyone makes it through.

"I have to get more applicants at the door, thinking that half of them might not make it through," she said.

Recruiting in the North has its special challenges as well, especially in the smaller communities, said Cpl. Pokiak.

The fact that members can be posted anywhere in Canada after training is intimidating to some, she said.

"It's fear of the unknown," she said.

"Not everybody gets to travel or go outside their region."

Const. Christina Phillips, 24, recently went through the application process.

"I expected it would be pretty difficult and there were some things that were pretty challenging," she said.

"I found (the application process) went by pretty quick. Now they're taking in more people at (Regina training) depot these days, so I think the application process will be going a bit quicker."

Once applicants have been accepted they go to the RCMP training depot in Regina, Sask.

"It was almost like a military college, at least for me," said Const. Phillips. "Your uniform had to be a certain way, beds and rooms had to be clean, they did inspections..."

Now a full constable serving in Behchoko, she said she finds her job interesting. She had advice for those thinking of applying to wear red serge.

"Patience," she said. "You've got to have patience."

Cpl. Pokiak said the lengthy battery of tests is all worth it in the end.

"You get to meet a lot of people and you get the feeling that you're actually contributing to the community," she said.