Dupre arrived in Boissevain last weekend and began his duties on April 17. He said the road to Boissevain had many steps, as did his RCMP career. Officers are given a list of available areas, of which there were five at the time, ranging from Manitoba to Nova Scotia. Manitoba was on his top three picks. From there, he was to list the top 15 detachments. Boissevain was on that list and so it fit. Dupre said he did some research into the community and school before he put us on the list. It is a nice small town, he said, close to a provincial park and to cities like Brandon and Winnipeg.
Dupre is originally from Joyceville, Ontario, a small community around Kingston. He has been living in Calgary for the last 20 years. Before joining the RCMP, he was working as a project manager for an audio-visual company, which dealt with conferences and entertainment from a technical point of view. He decided he wanted a career change, and as some of his friends had joined the force, he applied and got in.
“I like helping people, the fact that every day is different, that you don’t know what it will hold for you,” Dupre explained. “It’s not like an office job. It’s going to be a big change for me, but I’m looking forward to it.”
He is new to the RCMP, just graduating from Depot in Regina on April 10. Getting to that point was a long road. Dupre explained it began with an application and a written test. More tests like polygraph and physical fitness followed. The results went to committee for consideration before he was accepted into the program. Overall, it was 13 months from the beginning to getting into Depot.
Training itself took 26 weeks. Trainees learn the Criminal Code, self-defense, shooting, fitness and driving. Dupre said it was a long 26 weeks of intensive training.
Dupre will be serving as a general duty investigator, working in town and as a part of the Turtle Mountain (Boissevain, Killarney, Deloraine) team. It will be an adjustment for him for sure.
“Going from a city of 1.2 million to a smaller community of 1600 will be a bit of a change. But I think it will be a good change. I’m excited to be here.”
He will not be going through the adjustment alone. Constable Jacob Stanton from Killarney is his field coach for the next six months. As Stanton explained, the two will be joined at the hip for the first two months as Dupre goes through his new training and field exercises. There will be different benchmarks which Stanton will be monitoring and grading. If all goes well, he will be on his own after the six months.
Stanton said Depot training is to a national standard and builds the fundamentals, but no two postings are the same. Each Mountie has to learn the actual scenarios in a police officer’s life.
“He learned the Depot side of things,” Stanton explained, “and now we get into the real world, to apply what he’s learned. I will help with his learning here, to get acquainted with the communities, municipalities and the schools, everything to help along the way. We will be dealing with real life situations and how to deal with dangerous situations. No two days are the same for us, so building that foundation is important.”
Stanton said Dupre is fortunate to be in a progressive and welcoming community like Boissevain. He added he has done the field coaching before and does enjoy the role.
“I find it rewarding to be a part of developing new members, to maintain the RCMP’s reputation as the best police force in the world, in the country. We want to make sure the communities receive the best possible service we can. It is rewarding to have an impact on a new member coming into the force.”
Dupre is joined by his wife Shannon and young son Trenton. He feels coming to Boissevain will give him an opportunity to learn from many different situations. How long he stays in the community will depend on different factors, including where his career interests within the force take him. For now, he is ready to get started on the next step.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Dupre stated, “to be able to take everything I’ve learned at Depot and apply it to the real world.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff