For over 25 years, Elizabeth Popowich has been at the centre of hundreds of cases for the Regina Police Service. As a member of the communications team, Popowich was a constant through social media, press releases and speaking at community events.
Popowich is officially retiring from her position, and while she was not directly responding to crimes, she was the one to report them.
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Global News sat down with Popowich to reflect on her time with Regina Police, as well as look at how policing has changed over the last three decades.
Q: How you are feeling about retiring? This must be a bittersweet moment.
A: You know, bittersweet is really the perfect word for it because I’m ready to retire. I haven’t made a big deal out of it, but I tell people that I actually am a senior citizen so I can retire. And I’ve come to the end of 25 years with the Regina police service and so it seems like the right time.
But I am really going to miss the people and the work and the connections in the community because over the years I’ve gotten to do so many things and so many events out in the community that I’ve forged some really lovely friendships there that I know will continue.”
Q: And what are some of the moments or events from your career that will stick with you?
A: “You know, it’s tough because the conclusion of an investigation, again, the word bittersweet comes to mind because you can say that we’ve solved it. Someone is charged and will be held accountable in the courts. But you always know that it began with something tragic and traumatic. And so you always have mixed feelings about it.
I would say that some of the things that really stand out for me are probably the cases that are still unsolved because we would like nothing more than to be able to give answers to the families of victims or the families of someone who is missing.”
Q: How do you reflect on your over 25-year career here?
A: “The Regina police service has given me amazing opportunities to learn about my own privilege and how I might take steps to make the world more equitable. One of our former chiefs, Cal Johnston, used to say that ‘the goal is always to have a community where all people live well together.’ And I know that that’s not the reality right now. And so, we all have a lot of work to do as a society. And I give credit to this place for teaching me that.”
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