West Shore RCMP officer Const. Nancy Saggar has some sage advice for women pursuing policing as she heads off on maternity leave.
Saggar, who has been in policing for 11 years, is 8.5 months pregnant and recently left her position as media liaison officer for maternity leave.
Early on in her pregnancy, a source of anxiety, she said in a video statement, was how 12 to 18 months of maternity leave would affect a career in policing.
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“Realistically, that’s an anxiety that I think a lot of women have in this job,” Saggar said. She navigated the turmoil via frank conversation with supervisors and was met with support, quashing some fears.
“Sometimes it’s nice to have a supervisor tell you that you’re still part of the team. Just because you become pregnant doesn’t mean you’re not a contributing member of the RCMP.”
Saggar has experience in a variety of policing positions including frontline, serious crimes, First Nations policing and is a member of the Vancouver Island Crisis Negotiation team.
She headed off on maternity leave on March 5, handing the reins to Const. Alex Berube who has served as the West Shore RCMP media relations officer previously. She expects her first child later this month.
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