LAW ENFORCEMENT IS IN THE BLOOD

Fort's Newest D.A.R.E. Officer Comes From An Experienced RCMP
Family

With her father and two uncles retired RCMP officers and three uncles
who are still serving, it is no surprise that Const. Renee Murphy's
career path led to law enforcement.

She applied to the RCMP, didn't hear anything, waited two years,
enrolled in post-secondary schooling to become a nurse and then was
asked to go to Regina to become an RCMP officer.

Within two weeks she was in Regina.

"I had lots of influence with the police, I ate dinner with the RCMP
every night," Murphy said. "I didn't get in right away, I had to wait
two years."

Murphy, who was born and raised in Toronto, saw how fulfilling the
RCMP is to her family members and officially became a Mountie in 1998.

She is now Fort Saskatchewan's D.A.R.E. officer and media liaison for
the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP detachment.

Murphy also handles victim services and community policing.

"I'm looking forward to helping to educate the youth as to what the
role of the police are in their lives," Murphy said. "So many kids see
a policeman and the first instinct is to get nervous."

The nine-year veteran of the RCMP wants to change that first instinct
and received a little help because of an ankle injury suffered earlier
in the year that forces her to appear in civilian clothes until she
has fully recovered.

"Because of my injury, I can't wear my uniform," Murphy said. "So I'm
teaching and taking a role on in plain clothes which is interesting
for me.

"So the kids say 'wow, you're a policeman?'"

Murphy added that being in plain clothes has encouraged some of the
youth she's spoken with through D.A.R.E. to take an extra interest in
the law enforcement profession.

With a family so rich with RCMP tradition, it's no surprise that
Murphy's husband, Const. Bates, is also serving at the Fort
Saskatchewan detachment transferring from Redwater where he was
involved with the D.A.R.E. program there. The two live together in the
Fort and have four children.

So what does Murphy think is the biggest challenge facing her in her
new position?

"We're so used to seeing, often, the bad side of things, the criminal
aspect of policing," Murphy said. "This is 360 degrees."

Murphy is planning to create good habits, through the D.A.R.E.
program, before teenagers become adults.

"It's a proven fact that people don't operate in their normal
capacities when they're under the influence of drugs or alcohol,"
Murphy said.

"I just hope that I can get my foot in the door at a young
age.

"It's proven that if you start to do these things before you're
18-years of age that you will continue throughout life abusing.
They're so impressionable at this age (the D.A.R.E. age), so, try and
make a difference now to prevent stuff like that happening in the future."

Another challenge facing Murphy is working with and coordinating other
community policing organizations in Fort Saskatchewan.

"Just working and incorporating lots of those different
[groups] community watch, rural crime watch, victim services,"
Murphy said. "Just incorporating all those people to help us do our
job.

"They're really the eyes and ears to the city."

Murphy said that drugs are in the Fort but use is not necessarily
increasing. It's the availability of cocaine and crystal meth that has
increased.

"Cocaine, crystal meth, pills - are not as bad as people think here
in town," Murphy said. "The fact that the white powder drugs or pills
arrests in town is not as prevalent as one might think.

"Where people couldn't get cocaine before, can you get it now? Yes you
probably can."

A big problem with buying more serious drugs like cocaine and meth
concerns the ingredients. Murphy said that street drugs are being cut
with other drugs or ingredients and may harm the user or anyone who
handles the drug.

As far as the D.A.R.E. program goes, Murphy said the program relies on
a team effort from the kids, the parents, the teachers and herself.

"Without those partnerships the program would be unsuccessful.

"If your child comes home with a letter that they're involved in the
D.A.R.E. program, read it with them, talk about it, it opens lines of
discussion."

Helping Murphy is the RCMP officer who held her position before.
Murphy and Const. Helen Meinzinger, now posted in Ottawa, keep in
touch via email.

"Sometimes they're short emails, sometimes they're long," Murphy said.
"She's helpful. I have a lot of time for Helen, we're good friends
that way."

Murphy says her door is always open for people with concerns and
questions. She is also looking forward to her new position.

"I hope I can meet the expectations that are given to me."