|
 Beth
has endured a
diverse and
rewarding career
with the Sarnia
Police Service
since April
1980. She has
been involved in
many different
portfolios
within her
police service
in areas such
as: General
patrol, Youth
Bureau,
Intelligence,
Morality,
Detective Bureau
and is currently
in Community
Service. Beth
has worn many
hats in her
career including
areas of
specialization
in areas such as
Coach Officer,
DNA sampler and
Sex Offender
Registry.
Over the years
she has
continually
reached out to
her community
through her
involvement in
organizations
such as: Chair
of Victim
Services for
Sarnia/Lambton,
Police Liaison
officer for
Neighborhood
Watch, member of
the Lambton Drug
Awareness
Association,
member of the
Lambton Safety
Village
Committee,
Branch President
of Sarnia Branch
of the Canadian
Institute of
Management, and
President Elect
of Ontario West
Region of C.I.M.
She is also a
co-hosting the
C.I.M. National
Conference June
14th-17th in
Sarnia.
Cst. Lahey
speaks with
passion,
enthusiasm and a
renewed
excitement about
her current
position in
Community
Services. She
teaches students
the VIP (Values,
Influences,
Peers) program
and loves the
excitement that
this connection
generates with
the students.
She also gets
her energy from
the positive
reception she
gets from the
teachers and the
local board of
education. Beth
describes how
she is actually
“swarmed “by the
students (in a
good way) vying
for her
attention upon
her arrival at
the schools that
she attends. Her
partner in VIP
is Cst. Mel
Wright who Beth
refers to as her
“CSO mentor”.
Another mentor
in her career
was and still is
Sarnia’s Chief
of Police, Bill
O’Brien. She was
partnered with
then Detective
Constable
O’Brien during
her early years
as a police
constable while
in the Detective
Bureau. Prior to
that Lahey was
assigned to the
Youth Bureau
where O’Brien
and Dave McCabe
mentored her.
Beth shared with
me her feelings
about the
importance of
mentoring and
how important it
was to her that
O’Brien insisted
that she be
included and
involved in all
aspects of the
detective
function of the
bureau. Beth
indicates that
“he extended the
hand of
friendship and
gave me guidance
in how to do the
job 25 years
ago”. Lahey
indicates that
she was lucky in
that her coach
officer Chris
Gander (retired)
also assisted
her for many
years during her
career. He
taught her the
right way to do
things and
encouraged her
to do things on
her own and in a
way to assist in
her development
and learning.
“Early in my
career, males
didn’t mentor
many women in
policing, they
didn’t connect
with women’s’
issues and the
special needs of
women officers”
says Lahey. She
considers
herself lucky
that she had
several male
mentors
throughout her
career.
There were so
few police women
when Lahey came
on the job.
Sarnia had only
one other police
woman at the
time when Beth
was hired and
one year later
this officer
left leaving
Beth as the only
female officer
at Sarnia for
several years.
During this
time, Beth
connected with
O.P.P. officers
Andrea Wier
(retired) and
Sue Lloyd
(retired) then
from the local
Forest
Detachment. In
the early years,
Beth recalls
Andrea and Sue
organizing a
party where they
invited female
uniform and
civilian staff
so they could
get to know each
other. Beth says
that knowing
these contacts
and reaching out
to them and vice
versa has been a
comfort to her
during her many
years in
policing. Lahey
know first hand
the value of
mentoring and
had extended her
hand to many
over the years
as mentors had
done to her.
Beth concluded
our interview
with a few words
of wisdom for
her colleagues.
Her advice to us
in law
enforcement is
to welcome daily
challenges and
changes and
embrace them.
Don’t become
stagnant in your
beliefs and
practices or the
job and the
world will pass
you by. Seek out
education and
don’t rely upon
your service to
provide it
exclusively.
Beth is now in
her 28th year of
policing and
also teaches a
Managerial
Communications
course for the
Canadian
Institute of
Management at
Lambton College.
She believes in
life long
education. |
