Policing agencies across the country are noticing a dip in recruitment numbers, but the Swift Current City RCMP are navigating things just fine. 

At a city council meeting last week, the municipal detachment's commander, Staff Sergeant Evan Gordon, noted that all frontline departments are feeling the hit.  

"I have family in the armed forces as well, and everyone in every one of those branches that I speak to says the same thing; that they're facing a real issue with recruiting," he said. "There's no getting around it right now. I think the desire to to fill these roles, to fill these jobs, within varying police agencies and Protective Services is difficult right now."

However, he noted that the Swift Current city detachment has managed to navigate the lowered interest in recruitment just fine by being proactive in the community. 

A majority of recruiting work is carried out by frontline workers spreading the word while actively engaging with folks in their area--which is just what the local officers have done.

Constable McDonald conducted a recruiting presentation in August at the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre's Family Fun Day, to meet with people who were curious about a policing career.

Emergency responders such as the fire department, paramedics, and RCMP officers, took part in many different events this year from the Southwest Crisis Services' annual Duck Derby to SaskAbility's Walk Wheel Run events, to the fundraising Chili Cookoff at Market Square. 

"Things like that, that we can do here at the local level, I think make a big impact," Gordon said.  "Not only generating interest, but also putting a face to someone that you can ask questions of if you have those questions."

While Gordon said there might be reasons behind the interest in protective services lowering, he expressed discomfort commenting on specifics.