Inspector Tanya visited me last night and was quite annoyed with me. She wanted to know why only Sarah was interviewed for the blog. After all she was also one of the main characters of Lifelines.
I chuckled at her indignance and asked her the obvious question… why she wanted to pursue a male oriented profession in conservative times. Tanya closed her eyes as if she was remembering her childhood and then began to speak:
“I have always loved playing cops and robbers. My siblings and I would create havoc by racing around our back garden in the evenings after we had finished our homework. Being the eldest I was the designated sheriff, and I loved that because I was able to lord it over my younger brothers and sister even in play. While the “robbers” had wooden guns, I was the proud owner of a cap pistol, that created a loud sound simulating a gunshot and smoke when the small percussion cap was ignited.
My mother disapproved of our role play and tried to gently steer me towards a more lady like pursuit like studying to be a lawyer since in all fairness I did like law and order. For a while I did try to make her happy and chose my subjects that would have ultimately led me to take the bar exams. But when I left home and went to university, I discovered that I could get a master’s degree in criminology and join the police force as an officer. That was like a dream come true.
When I first wore my police officer’s uniform, I was so proud. It would have been wonderful if I could have shared this moment with my family, but sadly it was not to be. As I looked in the mirror, admiring the sleek smart lines of the well-tailored attire, I promised myself there and then that I would not only always uphold the law but would also make it a point to pave the way to make conditions easier for women to join the force. Though it was difficult at the time, however, due to the efforts of myself and other pioneers in this profession, many young girls are now opting for law enforcement as a career today.”
