Adrienne Bartol was a police dispatcher for 22 years.
She says her career was ended seven years ago after a vehicle crashing into the lobby of the police headquarters building.
Bartol was not physically injured, but was seriously emotionally affected.
It happened on Nov. 13, 2011 at around 5:30 a.m.
“I was coming back from the bathroom and I heard this horrendous noise,” she recalled.
She says she was sent to find the sergeant on-duty, not knowing where the driver of the car was.
“We didn’t know what state he was in, we didn’t know if he was armed, we didn’t know if he had rigged the car for explosives,” Bartol explained.
The man was arrested, but later found not to be criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
Bartol said after the arrest was made, she was expected to continue her shift.
She thought she was okay in the aftermath, but over time, her mental state worsened.
She developed a sleep disorder, and was ultimately diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
For their part, police said that a number of physical security and surveillance measures have been put in place at headquarters since 2011.
“While we are unable to comment on a former employee’s perception of security or human resource matters, we can say that the Waterloo Regional Police Service takes the security and wellness of its members very seriously,” the WRPS said in a statement.
Bartol says she’s sharing her story now to help others who may be going through similar struggles.
