SASKATOONEXPRESS - December 18-24, 2017 - Page 1
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a summer student while waiting to go to police college. She became Saskatoon’s first career female police officer. Was it a good thing to have two years of law under her duty belt? “It didn’t hurt, but in terms of the day-to-day stuff, it didn’t make that much of a difference. I think everyone who knew me thought ‘oh, she must know what she’s doing.’” Another woman joined soon after, and the two new recruits walked the streets with the seasoned police officers unarmed, apart from a whistle, baton and a belt. They wore men’s shirts, men’s ties, and had no jackets; women’s uniforms were as yet unheard of. “We had to share a radio between two people, so you had to make sure you never let your partner out of your sight,” she said. “Nowadays the equipment and the clothing is bar none, but back then it was pretty simplistic.” In January 1978, the two women went to police college, graduating in April. On Maxwell’s first day at work as a full officer, she had the 3 to 11 p.m. shift, and woke up in the morning to hear that a police officer had been killed on the outskirts of Saskatoon. It was RCMP Constable Brian King. “It didn’t change my idea of what I wanted to do, but it was a wake-up call to everybody,” recalled Maxwell. “We’d been sleeping for a long time in Saskatoon. As a result of that, our police association (union) soon had it put in the contract that we were always to be doubled up after 11 at night.” Some agencies still have single patrols, to this day, but not the SPS. That was the only good thing to come from the tragedy, she said. “That was a real epiphany, for me, anyway, in terms of police work. As a result of that, our agency has always been very good about ensuring we had the best training, the best equipment, the best uniforms and all of that.” The changing of the times Maxwell muddled through with men’s gear, boots from the Army Surplus and other items cobbled together into a uniform. Then, just before she got into the drug unit in the 1990s, “they started making specially-designed women’s pants,” she said. “We had women’s shirts, women’s ties, and even women’s vests. The first bulletproof vests we got, which were a great idea, were cut for a man, so they were too wide in here (she indicates her waist), too deep in here, and there was always this big gape (at the top).” Sandra Maxwell, who joined the Saskatoon Police Service in 1977, carved a path for others to follow. Women also were provided the proper (Photo by Joanne Paulson) tunics for ceremonial events, funerals and Joanne Paulson because she wore contact lenses. “They treated me just like they were mess dinners. Saskatoon Express So, she carried on with her life, studied big brothers because I’m sure they thought Getting to the locker room was also rowing up in Radisson, Sandra arts at the University of Saskatchewan, and they would never have to deal with me interesting in the early days. Maxwell had ambitions to attend on a whim decided to apply for law — and again,” said Maxwell, laughing, in a recent “To get to the women’s locker room university when another profesgot in. Apparently, the policing instinct was interview. we had to walk through the men’s locker sional seed was implanted in her brain. still alive in her mind. After first year, she The hook was set. After second year room. We walked past the first lane of An RCMP officer suggested she apply became aware of the law student summer law, she knew she wanted to become a men. Anyone with badges 21, 22, 23 . . . to the force, which was recruiting its first program run by the Saskatoon Police Serpolice officer. She applied for and joined we walked past about 20 lockers.” intake of women. She was turned down vice. She was the first woman ever accepted. the SPS full-time, hired Oct. 3, 1977 as (Continued on page 11)
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Trailblazer: City’s first woman police officer retires