The first female officer hired in the Chatham police department is hanging up her hat for good.
Constable Amy Finn worked her last afternoon shift as a local police officer on Wednesday, after spending 30 years on the job. She says retirement will be an adjustment in terms of what to do with the abundance of free time she will have.
"My entire day and week has always been planned for me," says Finn. "I am now a full-time mom to four boys, which is the first time I've done that for years, with not knowing what I'm going to do tomorrow."
Finn started her first day as a Chatham officer on July 4, 1988. She admits at that time, being the only female officer in the area -- and the second ever female officer hired within Chatham-Kent Police Services -- was nerve-racking.
"I was scared to death," says Finn. "I had no idea what I was walking into. When you walk in and you are the only girl -- knowing you are the only girl, it was terrifying. I walked into a group of guys who had patience and understanding and they became family, they were like my big brothers."
Although many male officers were willing to have her back, Finn says she did face a certain level of discrimination.
"There were some that did not want a female officer to work alongside of them, they didn't think I could back them up," she says. "They learned quickly that I wasn't afraid to go out on a foot chase."
In terms of public perception, Finn says some people were hesitant to talk to a female officer and in some cases would request to speak with a male instead.
"I had Pete Bakker with me who was my training officer," she says. "We would go to calls and he would direct [people] and say, 'No, she's the one your going to talk to. If you want to make a complaint, you're going to talk to her.'"
Over the years, Finn says she has noticed a major change in terms of tearing down barriers for people of different genders, orientation, race, or religion.
Finn has patrolled some rough areas in her career but that hasn't put a negative outlook on her view of the community.
"I love Chatham-Kent. We have great people, we have a great community," she says. "I've been blessed. I've got four wonderful boys and I've been blessed with a great job, and a community that has allowed me to get to know them."
The advice Finn passes on to people considering a career in policing is to go to school, volunteer, and never stop working towards what you want.
"You're always going to have these critics who say, 'you can't do it,' But if you believe in yourself and you believe you can do it, you can do it," says Finn.
-With files from Matt Weverink.
Last night, Const Amy Finn said ‘10-7 for shift’ one last time. You’ll hear Amy end with ‘Baamaapii’ which means ‘later’ not good-bye pic.twitter.com/1U4uoIxgCZ
— Chatham-Kent Police (@CKPSMedia) April 26, 2018