TISDALE — Tisdale’s new detachment commander, Sgt. Wanita Minty, said she believes her officers should feel like they can come to work every day with a goal in mind for improving the community.
“I want to see members who are excited to come do their job, who want to be participating in their community,” Minty said.
“I want to see members not just going out to find bad guys, but going to the schools to do presentations and educating the community – young kids about social technology, about using cell phones and keeping the public safe.”
Minty has 20 years with the RCMP, policing in rural Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. Nineteen of those years were with general duty policing, with a one year stint working in the drug section at Yellowknife.
“Other than that I’ve been a gravel road cop my whole entire career.”
The last seven years Minty has been posted throughout the region, including Nipawin and Hudson Bay.
She said that her philosophy on policing is to treat others how you want to be treated.
“I expect all my people to follow the core values of the RCMP: that’s honesty, integrity, professionalism, compassion, accountability and responsibility,” Minty said.
“I don’t care what the worst enforcement call is, they will be held to it just as I will be.”
She said her interests outside of work include snowmobiling and fishing – but confessed she hasn’t had much time this past year to get out and do them. One of her more practiced hobbies includes snowshoeing.
“I do have a grandbaby, so I do grand-parenting activities,” Minty said. “They’re outside of Saskatoon so I can see them quite often, I can see them on the weekends and stuff.”
With seven years left until retirement, Minty said Tisdale offers her the opportunity to continue working in a small community.
“I have an open door policy. I know sometimes conversations can be hard; I don’t like a hard conversation any more than anyone else does. Conflict is not my cup of tea, but I know the reason that I’m here, I know the reason that I’m in charge of the detachment. Come and see me – I’ll make time for you, I’ll bring you into my office and we can have a conversation.”
