Every Monday, Cochrane Today will recognize a member of the community who has soared to new heights as a person or group who demonstrates the character of the mighty eagle.
This week, we are pleased to bring you someone who spends her days helping keep Cochrane safe, a member of Cochrane's RCMP detachment, Cpl. Bethany Hoskin, the third watch commander.
Hoskin joined the RCMP in 1997 in Vermillion making her a 22-year veteran of the Canadian Mounties. After stints in Whitecourt and Olds she found herself in Cochrane where she has worked for the past four years as of September.
"I really like the town of Cochrane," said Hoskin, whose kids attend high school in town. "It's by far my favourite town that we've lived in in the province of Alberta ... I don't think there is anywhere better."
She cites the proximity to the mountains and the city, community facilities and opportunities for outdoor recreation as the factors to that opinion.
"I really like the atmosphere here. I find it's really pro-police. I was in the parade last week just in the boat and the amount and comments we were getting from the community, just a lot of support," she said.
From a policing side, Hoskin says the Cochrane detachment is interesting to work in.
"We have a real spectrum from extreme poverty to extreme affluence, which affects the kind of calls and the style of police work that we do," she said, adding combined with files that come out of the city and policing issues unique to the Waiparous, McLean Creek and Morley areas leaves no shortage of variety. "We have this huge detachment area."
Hoskin said the highlight of her duties day-in and day-out are the people she meets.
"I have met a huge spectrum of people I would have never met had I not done police work. The majority of people we deal with are good people, sometimes good people making poor decisions, but I really feel this job gives us the opportunity to get involved briefly in people's lives in a way that can be super positive. That's probably the part I like the best," she said.
A lot has changed in Hoskin's world since she entered policing, back when women weren't still readily accepted.
"When I first joined the RCMP there was a bit of stigma still about women being in police work," she said remembering a time when she was new to the job and a citizen came to the counter and refused to speak to a female officer. "I don't feel that anymore. The force itself has changed and the public has changed and I think female members are more and more common and not something people react to anymore."
To anyone thinking of entering policing, Hoskin said it's a great career that provides a lot of opportunities to do a lot of different things.
"It will definitely get you outside your comfort zone," she said.
If you know someone deserving of recognition, email Editor Chris Puglia at [email protected].
