Inuvik has more female RCMP officers than the national average meet 3 of them

"You can be anything you want to be," says Cst. Jenna Mooreto a grade 8 student at Inuvik East Three School.

For Moore, being an RCMP officer is something "she always thought of," and now she's glad to be working as an officer in Inuvik.

Moore has been in Inuvik for about a year and a half; it's her first posting. She's one of many women on the force.

According to the RCMP, as of April 1, 2018, 21.6 per cent of regular members in Canada are female. That number is higher in Inuvik at about 35 per cent.

Moore said that about 24 people graduated from her troop. Five of the graduates were women, and three of them, including Moore, ended up in Inuvik.

Moore said she knew from the start that she wanted to head north. "I feel comfortable working with both male and females, but I think having more females here is a great thing."

Cst. Stephanie Leduc teams up with Moore about every week to put on the Aboriginal Shield program for grade 8 students, where they talk about life goals, healthy choices, role modelsand the justice system.

Leduc has six years of experience, with one of those years being in Inuvik.

She said that "she's never been the only female in the detachment," but that it's good for students to see there is a large presence of female officers, "not just in Inuvik but in Canada in general."

I just think it's important for girls to see us.- Cst. Kim Ward

"I think that having us here in that role kind of diminishes that Hollywood portrayal 'you need to be big, broad-shouldered,tough guy,' kind of persona."

She said the biggest change that she's seen being in a smaller, community-oriented town, is seeing people inand outof uniform, because "they know we are police officers whether we are wearing uniforms or not."

RCMP Cst. Kim Ward, who has been an officer in Inuvik for about one year, said there was a noticeable increase in female officers last year.

"I just think it's important for girls to see us. It doesn't matter if you are a male or a female. You can be a great cop too."