Constable Kristen Charron, Community Patrol Branch
I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a police officer. Even when it was suggested to me by an officer, I immediately brushed off the idea. That was until I was offered a ride along and got to see policing first-hand. The compassion, empathy and dedication to the community that the officers exhibited that day was truly inspiring.
Shortly after that, I left the world of Journalism behind and went back to school for Police Foundations. Back then, the application process was different than it is today. We had to obtain a certificate of results from Applicant Testing Services before we could even start applying. There was a running component that was part of this process. I was never a strong runner, and that was probably the biggest challenge I faced at the time. I hired a personal trainer and thanks to his help and some advice from my instructors at St. Clair College, I passed all of the components, both physical and academic. Once I had my certificate in hand, I applied to the Brantford Police Service and after a six-month long hiring process, was offered employment.
In May 2014, I attended the Ontario Police College at the age of 31. I had an amazing class of officers from across the province and we still keep in contact to this day. After three months, I was back in Brantford and on the road with my coach. The first few months were a whirlwind of learning, but my coach and my platoon helped make me the officer I am today.
At the end of 2019, I left the Brantford Police Service to come home to Chatham-Kent. I received the same support from my platoon here which made my transition extremely easy. From the second I walked in the door of the Chatham-Kent Police Service, I felt valued by my supervisors. They helped me explore different career paths within the service that interested me.
At the beginning of 2023, I joined Traffic Management as a collision investigator.
What I love most about policing is a fast-paced career where you have to think on your feet, every day is different and the opportunities for advancement or to try and learn something new are endless.
If you’d like to speak with a officer about the policing profession, the follow officers are available to answer questions.
Lynette Rosina lynetter@chatham-kent.ca
Jodie Foster JODIEF@chatham-kent.ca
Kristen Charron kristenc@chatham-kent.ca
Kelly Helbin KELLYH@chatham-kent.ca
Lisa Rodger lisaro@chatham-kent.ca
Hannah Roesch hannahr@chatham-kent.ca
Alexis Masse alexisma@chatham-kent.ca
