Choice of career not a ‘cop’-out

Barry Ritch always wanted to be a police officer
When it comes to his career, you could say Barry Ritch was a man with a plan.
“I always wanted to be a police officer, my entire life,” Ritch, now a constable with the Thunder Bay Police Service, said.
“There was nothing else I wanted to do.”
Growing up in Nakina, Ritch, an Aroland First Nation band member, was best friends with a local officer’s son.
“We got to see the cars, play with the sirens,” Ritch said. “From the point we were 10-11, we both knew we would be officers.”
His friend would go on to join the Ontario Provincial Police at age 18.
But, despite his passion and drive for law enforcement, the career did not come easy for Ritch.
He too applied to the OPP at 18 and made it through to the interview process.
“I was shot down,” Ritch said, matter of factly. “I understood their decision. At least I got to go through the whole process.”
While he committed to continue to apply, Ritch followed through with a back-up plan.
He enrolled in a law and security program at Confederation College where he completed the first year.
“My funds were depleted and I couldn’t continue,” he said. “So I took a job at a mine doing security and kept applying to every police service I could.”
With no callbacks for interviews, Ritch kept working.
He applied in correctional services in 1990 and became a guard at The Farm, then a minimum-security detention centre in Thunder Bay.
He spent more than six years working in corrections. Halfway through that time, Ritch enrolled in the Native family worker program at the college. He kept working at the jail on nights and weekends.
Just months away from graduation in 1996, Ritch was preparing for his placement to complete his diploma.
As he planned for that, he got an interview with the First Nations policing program under the OPP.
After a glitch in his paperwork was cleared up, he was offered a job and was asked to enroll at police college in Orillia.
“I had to drop out of college to join the police,” he said.
Because he was separated from his family while he was in Orillia, he stayed 100 per cent focused on his police studies.
“I kept my nose to the books,” Ritch said.
His dedication was noticed by his supervisors.
Ritch earned the award for outstanding marks and fitness, an award that is only presented when it is deemed appropriate.
Ritch was the first Aboriginal officer to receive the award.
Upon graduation, a glitch kept him from moving to Keewaywin.
Instead, he and his family went to Eabametoong.
“I had a couple cousins working in policing there,” he said. “They taught me the ropes of policing.”
After two years, he joined Anishnawbek Police Service in Rocky Bay.
Because policing in Rocky Bay wasn’t as labour intensive as Eabameetong, it gave Ritch a chance to start a recreation program for youth in the community.
Two years later, he moved on to the Thunder Bay Police Service.
He spent nine years in uniform patrol before joining the Aboriginal Liaison Unit in September of last year.
“I enjoyed uniform patrol ... but I love what I’m doing now.”