New Waterloo Regional Police Services recruits bring unique perspective

Marching into their new lives as police officers with the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), 11 men and women received their badges after months of preparation, but it is their unique personal experiences and backgrounds that will help diversify the force.

“This just helps us as a service grow and develop and also connect more with our community. So this is why we think that this group is going to be so important for us, for the service,” Constable Chris Iden said.

Constable Bryce Hunt-Parker grew up in Paris, and had ties to the service.

“My best friend’s dad was a police officer growing up and he was my coach. So just knowing him and just how good he was to us and how good of a coach he was, it was always a dream of mine to be a police officer and now I’m here,” said Hunt-Parker.

He is also an athlete outside of the uniform, competing in Red Bull’s Crashed Ice Challenge and he said those skills are transferable to the streets of Waterloo Region.

“The cardio aspect is very difficult in that sport and I’m hoping the cardio stays and even gets better. As much of an individual sport as it is, you work as a team,” added Hunt-Parker.

Hailing from a small town in India, Constable Jadpreet Singh came to Canada in 2016 as an international student and wanted to make a difference in the community he now calls home.

“I knew nobody in Canada and I just made a very small family. Now I’m a part of this big family with Waterloo Regional Police Service,” said Singh.

After 8 years of policing elsewhere, Constable Josh Shymko wanted to be closer to home by joining WRPS. He says being amongst the new recruits sparks excitement back into the job.

“This is one of these chances just to get back to the road and be back with new, fresh people who are excited to be here and learn from them as much as I can. Give them a chance to learn a new department, new ways, and really experience policing from a different angle,” Shymko said.

This latest group of officers will join their patrols in the coming days and weeks throughout the region.