REGINA — Ten recruits were sworn in by the Regina Police Service (RPS) on Thursday.
The new recruits represented four different countries from India to Ukraine, and even South Africa, where Lourens De Waal originates from.
Waal moved to Canada with his family three years ago, and he has always wanted to join the police force.
“I feel I have a strong urge to be in the community [and help] them, so I felt like it's the perfect way to give back to the community.”
Waal said it takes lots of preparation, including mentally and physically, to be ready for the different steps in the recruiting process.
“If you want to do this, you need to be prepared before you start this career.”
Waal hopes to join the RPS Canine Unit before eventually going into their SWAT Team.
Joining Waal in today’s ceremony was fellow recruit Brooke Sands, who previously served as an Alternative Response Officer (ARO).
Sands felt joining the police was a calling, as she loves being there for people.
She intended to join the RPS before an injury, which got her placed in the detention unit before transitioning to ARO.
While many people would see this as a setback, Sands saw it as a different opportunity.
“It gave me the opportunity to work within RPS before going to college. So I got a greater understanding of how it works, [like the] policy.”
Sands said she’s looking at different career paths within the RPS, but recruiting has piqued her interest.
Sands, Waal and six other recruits will start their training at the Saskatchewan Police College on July 21, and are expected to graduate Dec. 12.
Waal said he’s most looking forward to everybody coming together as a team, while Sands is excited to learn about different scenarios.
Meanwhile, two other recruits will attend the RCMP Depot for training and will graduate in Jan. 2026.
