T&T better be ready for a female Commissioner of Police in the future as more and more women are applying to enter into the T&T Police Service (TTPS), and five have already reached the executive level of the service.
This was disclosed by newly appointed ACP Operations Joanne Archie, who was speaking today on CNC3’s The Morning Brew.
Asked by host Hema Ramkissoon if T&T was ready to have a woman to lead the service, Archie replied: “Better be…I think so…We are out there, five officers in the executive, we are just close to the door.”
Archie was enrolled in the Police Service in 1982 following in the footsteps of her father, who was a police officer.
Moving up the ranks, Archie was able to shatter the proverbial glass ceiling in the TTPS that was deemed a man’s world. She did so by ensuring that she became knowledgeable in the profession.
“I have had the cooperation with the males and it comes with knowledge of the profession, integrity, and hard work.
“Coming up the rank I made an indelible mark throughout my career and I want to be remembered as a woman who served with dignity, integrity and who was very professional in the discharge of her responsibilities. I want to be remembered for just that,” Archie said.
Archie urged women already in the service and those wanting to get in, to assert themselves more and ensure that they discharge their respective responsibilities professionally.
“You would meet different personalities and leadership styles but it is about adapting and keeping focus and getting the job done…the main idea is aspiring to higher ranks, knowledge of the profession, and understanding what is required of you as a female,” Archie said.
Archie encouraged women to keep applying.
“We are already getting more females than males applying now and it tells you something, and given the crime situation we need them. It is still a noble profession and we attract highly qualified people who can’t get jobs elsewhere. It is a career that you will love. There is room for promotion and we welcome young ones.
“We have seen where women are taking their places in politics…we are leaders and as I saw a sign, ‘Educate a woman and you educate the world’. I think women generally in T&T and globally, we have made a name for ourselves and continue to represent.
“We have asked for equality and we need to step out, stand out, and speak out. In whatever career path you choose, you need to get out there and represent yourself,” Archie said.