By paNOW

Former teacher and penitentiary guard are newest P.A. cops

Feb 4, 2017 | 1:00 PM

Prince Albert’s two new police officers come from very different backgrounds, but both men said they joined for the same reasons – helping the people in their home community.

Constables Brennan MacDonald and Christopher Riddell recently completed their 20-week training at Saskatchewan Police College in Regina, and now both have joined patrol shifts to hone their skills on the streets. Yet despite their similarities, the two rookie constables started their careers in very different ways. While Riddell worked at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary for over a decade, MacDonald worked as a teacher before setting his sights on policing.

MacDonald, 34, was born and raised on a farm east of P.A. before completing his bachelor of education in Minot, North Dakota.

“I worked nine years in the education system,” MacDonald said. “Seven years in St. Louis Community School and then two years at Vincent Massey Community School.”

MacDonald said policing and teaching have a lot in common, as both jobs let him do hands-on work helping people in his community.

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“I like to help people,” MacDonald said. “I like to help solve problems and I like being out in the public and doing that community-type of policing.”

Riddell, 39, came from a slightly rougher background than the education system.

“I did my police and criminal justice diploma at Lethbridge Community College and then I worked at the Penitentiary for 12 years, eight years as a dog handler,” Riddell said.

With a background involving service dogs and the prison’s emergency response team, Riddell said he’ll try to find a place with the police force’s K9 or SWAT units after cutting his teeth on patrol.

“I have a passion for K9,” Riddell said. “I think over the years I’ll see where I fit in there.”

Ultimately, Riddell said, he joined the force for the same reasons as MacDonald.

“I think when you have a family, and you live in Prince Albert, you want to be able to help your community as much as you can,” Riddell said. “I didn’t think I was getting that fulfilment with my previous job, and I know that with policing I can really try to make a difference.”

Both men picked up awards during their time at the college; MacDonald was selected as valedictorian by his classmates while Riddell was presented with the physical fitness and self-defence tactics award.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews