Suit Of Blue
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COULD A WOMAN REALLY BEAR THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE BADGE ?
TITLE: Suit Of Blue - Could a woman really bear the weight of the badge?
AUTHOR: Heather D. Hodgson Schleich
REVIEWER: William J. Teggart
Chief of Police, Region of Peel - Retired
Suit of Blue gives us snapshots into the life of Sgt.Heather Hodgson, one of the first female police officers to perform general duties in the Region of Peel.
As a daughter, wife, mother and police officer she wore many hats. From her window of reference, this candid easy to read memoir takes us from the early days in her career to life threatening situations, to major events such as the Mississauga Train Derailment and the brutal pre-meditated murder of a fellow officer and colleague. She also refers to the honour of being asked to speak before members of the International Congress on Alcohol and Addiction in Berlin, Germany, where she represented the OACP and the Peel Regional Police. Her researched paper on police involvement on the subject of alcohol and addiction was well received and was also interpreted and distributed in the French language. The High School Accident Reduction Program "HARP", which the author researched and helped to develop, became a great success and legacy in the reduction of alcohol related teenage auto fatalities.
Sgt. Hodgson conducted her duties with courage, pride, enthusiasm, integrity, good conscience and good will. The service she worked for and the citizens she served are the true benefactors of her professionalism, diligence, special skills and talent.
I commend this book to anyone seeking an understanding of the many challenges faced by our police officers on duty every day. With advanced forensic science, communication technology and administrative policies, policing like all other institutions, changes with the times, however, many of the basic fundamentals remain the same.
William J. Teggart
Chief of Police, Region of Peel - Retired
TITLE: Suit Of Blue - Could a woman really bear the weight of the badge?
AUTHOR: Heather D. Hodgson Schleich
REVIEWER: Heather Dickinson
Women
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This review is from: Suit Of Blue, Could A Woman Really Bear The Full Weight Of The Badge? (Kindle Edition)
I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I am a female police officer with over 21 years of service. The stories were real and entertaining but more than that they triggered many memories for me of my policing career. It is not uncommon to see law enforcement books written by women reflecting upon their negative experiences. "Yes" we have all experienced the negative from time to time but it was truly refreshing to read about Heather's positive and enlightening experiences.
Nicely Done!
Heather Dickinson
TITLE: Suit Of Blue - Could a woman really bear the weight of the badge?
AUTHOR: Heather D. Hodgson Schleich
REVIEWER: Morley Lymburner
I took up Heather Hodgson's book, "Suit of Blue", and could not put it down. Heather was more than just a "keener cop" she was a pioneer... and a very determined one at that. She was among one of the first female officers in Canada to hit the road on patrol in the mid 70's doing a job equal to her male counterparts. She had applied "everywhere" and was rejected "everywhere" until Peel Regional Police took her on to work somewhere that she knew nothing about.
Reading Heather's book is like eating potato chips. You nibble one then another and another and before you know it the whole bag is gone. It was entertaining me on several levels. One part of me enjoyed the walk down memory lane while another part could relate to similar situations and yet another amazed me that I never really experienced what she had.
I always look at material submitted to Blue Line for what I call editorial hiccups. You will know what I mean if you find yourself reading a sentence over two or three times to get its meaning. Heather's book, I am delighted to report, has no hiccups. I found the writing style uncomplicated and made for an easy fast flowing read.
If you don't get hooked on reading her memoirs then you really need to get a life.
If you would like to obtain a copy of her book it is available through this web site:
https://www.createspace.com/4049008
see also www.suitofblue.com
There are a lot of people who apply directly as a police constable to police services and become disenchanted when they are not accepted immediately. I have selected the following chapter from Heather's book because it shows there are many roads to success and she was clever enough to try most of them.
Suit of Blue - Civilian Dispatcher, Toronto 1973
Being a civilian dispatcher was amazing.....
