Bodkin

Debbie Bodkin didn’t expect her 24 year career in Policing to lead her where it did.. While a Sergeant with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, she worked in a variety of areas, including sexual assaults, drugs, homicide, and intelligence.

Debbie is particularly proud of being a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team, and that she was the first female officer in her Police Service’s Intelligence Unit and Homicide Unit.

In 2000 the Police Service sent her to Kosovo to contribute her skills as a Scenes of Crimes Officer. This experience sparked her interest in work overseas and in 2004 she was hired by the Coalition for International Justice to go to The Republic of Chad where she interviewed refugees fleeing from horrible crimes occurring in the neighbouring African country, Sudan.

In 2005, the United Nations hired Debbie to continue interviewing witnesses and victims, but this time in the midst of the crime scenes, in Darfur, Sudan, in an effort to determine who was at fault. Debbie saw the worst of human cruelty and suffering first-hand, but was paradoxically inspired by Darfur’s victims themselves, as they shared kindness, hope and strength.

When she returned home Debbie felt the need to tell everyone what was going on in Darfur and how it is our responsibility as humans to help others around the world who are not as fortunate as we are in Canada. Debbie chose to retire early from Policing to pursue a new career focused on global issues, and has delivered hundreds of speeches about Darfur, Global Citizenship and Mental Health.

Debbie’s work has earned her accolades including the Ontario Women in Law Enforcement - Law Enforcement Professional of the Year Award in 2006, the Officer of the Year Award from the International Association of Women Police in 2006, the 2009 Fanshawe College Distinguished Alumni Award, and the 2010 Premier’s Award for Ontario College Graduates for Community Services.

Debbie Bodkin

The Trauma Speakers Bureau

"Be Inspired"

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Mental Health - My Personal Experience

As a female in the male dominated career of policing, Debbie thought she had mastered the art of being tough and keeping it together. She had gained the respect of her male colleagues and had withstood heart breaking case details while investigating sexual assaults and homicides. She thought that she had heard and witnessed the worst of the worst. On a couple of occasions Debbie had some trouble holding it all in.

In 2004 & 2005 Debbie travelled overseas to investigate Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and when she returned, her carefully monitored tough shell crumbled. Debbie will share the personal stories, and the thoughts and feelings that shook her world, and how she took control of this assault on her mental health.

Global Citizenship – Why & How We Should Be Doing Our Part

Debbie Bodkin served her community as a Police Officer for 24 years and thought she was doing her part to make the world a better place through her career.

And then her Police Service seconded her to Kosovo to work as a Scenes of Crimes Officer gathering evidence that ultimately assisted in the conviction of President Milosevic and his regime for Crimes of Genocide. Suddenly Debbie realized there was a lot more that she should be doing outside the safe and wealthy country of Canada. This resulted in three more overseas missions in Chad, Sudan and Rwanda where she worked with victims and witnesses of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide.

What she experienced changed her profoundly and led her to speak out, to convince others that as human beings we all have a responsibility to do our part, in some way, to improve our world and the lives of those less fortunate.

The Darfur Crisis – Politics vs. Humanity

Debbie served 24 years in Policing, but it was her overseas experiences in missions to Kosovo, Chad, Rwanda and most specifically Darfur, Sudan, that moved her to speak out. Canadian policing was almost tame next to the worst of human cruelty and suffering that Debbie witnessed, first-hand. And even within that bleakness, Debbie was inspired by the kindness, hope and strength she discovered in Darfur’s victims.

She learned that the policing style and laws she readily enforced in Canada are a far cry from what goes on in countries ruled by criminals. She was also faced with the sad realization that the richer and more powerful countries, those that make up the United Nations, as well as the world’s importing and exporting business, do not value Darfur as there is no monetary gain. Darfur is still in crisis and Debbie is still speaking out in the hope that eventually humanity will be valued before money, not only in Darfur, but everywhere.

"The sad realization is that the richer and more powerful countries, those that make up the United Nations, as well as the world’s importing and exporting business, do not value Darfur as there is no monetary gain."

- Debbie Bodkin

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