New Top Cop a Woman

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:30 AM

Soon to be Superintendent Butterworth -Carr talks with reporters. Click on photo for brief video of the new boss of the P.G. RCMP Detachment

Prince George, B.C. - The new Superintendent of the Prince George RCMP Detachment is Brenda Butterworth-Carr.

While her current rank is that of Inspector, she will receive the rank of Superintendent shortly. She has been with North District RCMP for a little over three years, but spent 14 years in Whitehorse in the Yukon and some time at E Division headquarters focusing on Aboriginal policing.

While not the first woman to head an RCMP detachment, she is the first woman to be in charge of the Prince George detachment ans is the first female Aboriginal Superintendent.

She has been in Prince George as the second in command at the North District Detachment for 3 1/2 years.

She has more than 20 years experience in the RCMP much of the time serving in communities in her native Yukon.

She officially takes on her new duties on the 23rd of February.

Here is her official Bio:

Inspector Butterworth-Carr was appointed to the rank of Inspector of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2005 and was given the responsibilities of the Assistant District Officer, North District. In this role, Inspector Butterworth-Carr was responsible for First Nations issues, discipline issues and all property management. Part of her role also included that she provide coaching and mentoring to personnel in the North District, which is made up of 37 detachments, staffed by 1011 employees of all categories

Professional Experience:

Inspector Butterworth-Carr is from the Tr'ondek Hwech'in Han Nation, Yukon. She joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1987as a Native Special Constable, completed recruit training in Regina Saskatchewan and was posted to the Whitehorse Detachment.

In 1999 she was promoted to Corporal as the First Nations Policing Coordinator in Whitehorse, YT. While in this position, Inspector Butterworth-Carr successfully negotiated several agreements with various First Nations in enhancing their policing services.

In 2002, Inspector Butterworth-Carr was promoted to Sergeant of Aboriginal Policing District Coordinator, Vancouver, BC. In this role she was responsible for initiating, promoting and maintaining an effective working relationship with government departments, major aboriginal organizations at both the Federal and Provincial and local levels to improve relationships among the aboriginal people, the Force and the justice system.

In 2003, Inspector Butterworth-Carr became the Acting Officer in Charge of Aboriginal Policing Services.

In 2005, Inspector Butterworth-Carr was promoted to Inspector as the Assistant District Officer, North District, Prince George, BC where she continued to hold this position.

Committees & Associations:

Inspector Butterworth-Carr currently holds positions on the following committees:

HIV/AIDS Awareness Task Force
Highway of Tears Governing Body
Women's Advisory Committee - "E" Division
Change Management Team - "E" Division.

Honours & Awards:

Inspector Butterworth-Carr has received numerous honours and awards to mark her achievements throughout her career: Recognitions include:

Acknowledgment at the Commissioner's National Aboriginal Advisory Meeting for her work on the "Our Elder's Speak" document.
Nominated for a Northern Women's Aboriginal Achievement Award for being a role model and her work in enhancing relationships between First Nation communities and the RCMP.
Received an award from the Commanding Officer's Aboriginal Advisory Committee for her work within the Yukon and enhancing relationships between the RCMP and First Nations Communities.
Recipient of the Queens Jubilee Medal for her proactive work throughout the Yukon Communities.

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Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:30 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: heidi1555 on February 10 2009 11:06 AM

Change is good. I wish her the best but not only wish her the best I wish her to do her best.

Posted by: Palopu on February 10 2009 11:49 AM

Good Greif Charlie Brown.

Posted by: He speaks on February 10 2009 12:09 PM

Lets give her a shot at it. Lets she if she can control the drug lords.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 10 2009 12:25 PM

Oh brother.

Posted by: Harbinger on February 10 2009 12:27 PM

On another note, I don't suppose she will be getting up to get the refills at Tims for the guys.

Posted by: Loki on February 10 2009 12:33 PM

The glass ceiling has been raised again! Hooray!
That's great that the new superintendent is female and aboriginal. Now we will find out if the new superintendent has the balls to cleanup the drugs, gangs and homeless. It has been my observation that historically suppressed group members try harder and are less self serving.

So if she has been 2ic in PG for the last 3 1/2 years, why did it take such a process?

Posted by: heidi1555 on February 10 2009 12:52 PM

Hmm I see more clearly now of past comments made from you guys. It's all starting to make sense. Some people just will never realize that sometimes it takes a woman to do a "mans job" properly.

:)

Posted by: jus cuz i can on February 10 2009 12:53 PM

Amen!

Posted by: Oldun on February 10 2009 1:08 PM

To me it matters not the colour, sex, minority, religion or political leanings as long as the best job possible is done. Go getem lady.

Posted by: lostfaith on February 10 2009 1:48 PM

Posted by: Big-Wayne on February 10 2009 2:15 PM

Best of Luck it is a tough job to do

Posted by: Thunder on February 10 2009 2:22 PM

I think this is great, but I have to ask about the headline. If the new super was a man, would it say "New Top Cop a Man"?

Posted by: editor on February 10 2009 3:44 PM

If the new super was a man, the headline would have been something along the lines of Joe Blow new Top Cop.....
The fact a woman has the job in Prince George is BIG news. There is only one other female superintendent in B.C. ( in Langley) and there is NO other Aboriginal Female at this rank. This is a significant breakthrough for women in the RCMP. Let's not forget, this new superintendent is old enough to remember a time when there were NO women in the RCMP. In fact, she said when she went to Depot, she initially thought she would be very happy to make the rank of Corporal.
She is very qualified for the post, and deserving of her new rank and responsibilities. We wish her the best, as we would wish any new Superintendent.

Elaine Macdonald

Posted by: The_grandinquisitor on February 10 2009 4:46 PM

Wrong...elaine...if she joined in 1987, there were plenty of women in the rcmp. Depot was half men and half women troops then.

Posted by: gus on February 10 2009 4:50 PM

I think all of us still have a long way to go on this.

When we are all cool with this, or our children, then the suggested headline of

"Joe Blow new Top Cop"

would be "Brenda Butterworth-Carr new Top Cop".

The name would have said it all, other than the First Nations stuff.

When looking at the CV, the only thing that concerns me a bit is that she moved up through the ranks in positions which addressed First Nations Issues. I can only assume that those who made the decision to give her this post are confident that she can excell at the more all-encompassing position of Superintendent.

I welcome her to the new position and am looking forward to see how she can cut 10% from the budget and improve the perception and effectiveness of the RCMP in PG by 10%. A tall order, but in these times one that people in her position, no matter what the gender or ethnic background, will be judged by.

Posted by: NMG on February 10 2009 4:55 PM

Good on her for getting the position!

I hope she brings some fresh thinking, new ideas and a different perspective to the culture of our local RCMP Detachment and in turn, impacts how they police and the results they achieve.

Her previous accomplishments also appear impressive and it demonstrates that she has leadership capability, which is one thing you look for when filling this role.

Congrats and lets hope she gets down to work soon. She has many challenges awaiting her.

Posted by: gus on February 10 2009 5:01 PM

Some background, I assume relatively factual, on gender and ethnic recruitment by the RCMP.

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/RCMP-recruiting

Looks like 1974 was the year the first females were hired. Not only that, but they got away from the 6 foot height and 200 lb preference. And before that they had to be single for the first 5 years.

Looks like it used to be a discriminating force.

Posted by: acrider54 on February 10 2009 5:31 PM

Well if there is a fire around here in the next little while I hope they track you down and charge you with it.

Posted by: gus on February 10 2009 6:42 PM

eh?

Posted by: editor on February 10 2009 7:15 PM

Grand inquisitor...
I didn't say she joined when there were no other women on the force, I said she was "old enough to remember a time when there were NO women in the RCMP"

She may have been a kid at the time, but since women have only been on the force since 1974, she was around. This is an achievement for anyone, but especially so when you are a woman in a male dominated profession. Often, women in such situations have to work twice as hard to be considered half as good. I know, I blazed my own trails in a male dominated profession in the mid 70's.

-Elaine Macdonald

Posted by: Harbinger on February 10 2009 7:41 PM

Betcha ya didn't know you can only get a hyphenated name in your first marriage. Just so ya know.

Posted by: bowzone_mikey on February 10 2009 10:15 PM

Posted by: heidi1555 on February 10 2009 12:52 PM
Hmm I see more clearly now of past comments made from you guys. It's all starting to make sense. Some people just will never realize that sometimes it takes a woman to do a "mans job" properly.

-------------------
I cant even begin to say how hiporcritical you are ... You are just as bad as them ... I cant begin to tell you how Funny I think that is ...

so when are the Pancake syrup ads coming back ie: Mrs Butterworth

who cares .. the 'mericans have a (i use this term loosely because his mother is as white as they come) "Black" president we have a first nations supe. makes perfect political sense in an area such as ours with many first nations people, Vancouver should have a supe of Asian decent ....

really tho .. who cares if she is black white yellow green or purple he/she or it ...as long as the job gets done ... shes the right person .... if it dont then she should be releived of duty in favor of someone who can get the job done

Posted by: maxwell on February 10 2009 11:24 PM

Not too much on how well she does on police work - more on dealing with native issues.

I hope she is the best cop for the job not the politically correct person.

Looking from the outside this clip tells me that Prince George is an troubled Aboriginal town that needs someone who deals with Aboriginal problems to look after it, what a great message - based on the bio given.

Why not promote her police abilities instead, like how well she did in taser class or say how many times she met her quota collecting taxes on the highway patrol?

Posted by: gus on February 11 2009 1:57 AM

Look at it this way, it used to be that RCMP Superintendents were mainly guys around 6 feet tall and around 200+ pounds in weight.

Why? Because that was the group of people they hired from.

It looks like for the past 40+ years they also hired people who did not meet that physical characteristic.

So, there are now more superindents who are shorter than 6 feet and weigh more than 250 pounds than ever before. Tim Horton is not the only reason that has happened.

So, we then get females and more ethnic variation hired than previosuly.

Only stands to reason that they too will have a chance at the upper management positions when they have some experience under their belt. There will be more coming in the next decade, so those who are not prepared for it, consider getting some sensitivity training. From reports, it sounds like the person she is replacing needed some of that too.

Posted by: Eagleone on February 11 2009 5:41 AM

I think this was a good pick. I think she is highly qualified for the kind of policing PG needs and I'm confident she'll bring a new needed perspective to the force.

Posted by: dirtcheap on February 11 2009 7:57 AM

Good post bowzone_mikey...heidi555 remember to say no to drugs.

Posted by: Lamb on February 11 2009 8:16 AM

Good for Prince George!
I was unable to play the video for some reason.

Posted by: heidi1555 on February 11 2009 8:54 AM

Glad you found the humor because I was teasing back at the coffee comment. Notice I didn't speak in caps or exclamation marks. But I did smile. Guess I should've winked?

:)

Seriously though I wish her or any person in that position to do their best. Big open arms to change. Like I said...Change is good. (Let's hope!)

Posted by: Eagleone on February 11 2009 9:07 AM

dirtcheep and brownzone need to insult a girls opinion to show they are the man... lol now that is funny and hypocritical.

Posted by: Eagleone on February 11 2009 9:09 AM

Butterworth, is going to ruff you fellers up lol.

Posted by: dirtcheap on February 11 2009 9:32 AM

Eagleone...please put brain in gear before posting here....did you even read the post by bowzone_mikey..read bottom paragraph,sometimes you need to read the whole post to get the message.

Posted by: bowzone_mikey on February 11 2009 6:38 PM

Heidi ... Its nce to see those out there with a sense of humour instead of taking everything at face ... A problem nowadays in the internet forum world ...
Cheers
I'll buy the coffee if you make it ;)

Posted by: heidi1555 on February 11 2009 10:28 PM

Just picked up a new container of Folgers today .... $4.99 with my Save-On more card baby!!!

:)