New Somerset Community Police Centre Manager Khoa Hoang
"How will you continue Constable Nathan Hoedeman's legacy?" a reporter asked me at Nathan's farewell party. "I don't know if there's anyone that can continue that legacy", I replied.
Natural born leaders are a rare breed that we have to appreciate and nurture when they cross our paths.
We are all forged by our personal experience and challenges that mould adversity into character. Nathan's challenge of becoming one of the first black police officers in Ottawa is different from my own. I came into policing at a time when the path had already been established by those before me. And although I likely experience fewer difficulties because of officers like Nathan, there are still many challenges that I face as the second wave of visible minority officers.
Adaptations to societal norms can be a slow and invisible process that is often correlated with factors no one predicted. Growing up in Centretown I never knew any police officers except the ones you'd see patrolling our streets. There were no officers at my school that I can remember, and I never had the privilege of attending any police booths at local events. In fact, I didn't know what policing was except by my own definition of what it should be. This puts me in quite a peculiar position, as a member of one of the oldest paramilitary organization, where structure and rank often trumps individual opinion.
In the spring of 2003, I was hired by the Hamilton Police Service on my 23rd birthday. As a recent graduate of Algonquin College I pursued a psychology degree at Carleton University and was hired before I could finish; forcing me to complete my degree part time. Like the many young and ambitious, I thought I was prepared for everything. But what awaited me upon receiving a police badge was an overwhelming sense of responsibility and difficult lessons on navigating through the office politics of a large organization. Combined with the constant exposure to violent street crimes and intense public scrutiny, I was overwhelmed.
As a student of human behaviour, I have a tendency to view the world through a psychological lens. I see individual actions as a cumulative response to the past conditions that led to that very moment. I understand that some people have been conditioned to become a certain way, and that a single positive interaction can easily be diluted within a history of negative influences… But that single interaction was what always motivated me to be at my best. I've worked hard to help individuals to reach that single accomplishment that might guide them to a destination where they can be proud of their character.
"Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures." -Mother Teresa
The Centretown/Glebe area is such an exciting place to live and play! I believe that we have the most socially progressive community in Ottawa here, and it's reflective in the diversity of our landscape along with the people and cultures that enrich our daily lives. I for one, thank you all for being a part of that!
On my way into work today, I biked in with a group of office workers wearing backpacks so that they can change into more socially respectable clothing. With an OPS uniform in my backpack, I was no different. We passed a man on his bike with a box on the back that read, "One less car". It made me smile at the power that one has to make a difference and influence others. It certainly influenced me to become more environmentally conscious.
Nathan has been a big proponent of community policing, believing that police officers were no better than everyone else. But that as police officers we have a responsibility to act in the best interest of the community that we served, and that we need to work in partnership with our community to be most effective. This has been my career motto, policing philosophy, and the answer I gave eight years ago when being interviewed for the job. This is the underlying premise of what community policing is all about, and what’s being taught at the Ontario Police College to new recruits.
So in one way I can never continue Nathan's legacy, as it was his own. Instead we each have a responsibility to those before us to create our own legacy; to build on their foundation and encourage the next generation to be better than us. But in a different way, we have a shared legacy of putting others first in the best interest of this city.
I recognize that even in his final decision as manager of the Somerset Community Police Centre, Nathan continued his effort of putting community first by endorsing me. It was his way of giving the community back one of their own. A street kid that grew up at the corner of Bank / Nepean, played for the Glashan Spikers, honoured as a Spirit of the Capital, and was raised by the people of this unique neighbourhood that we simply call home.
There is a psychology theory proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 that defines the needs people require in their process of personal development. These needs must be met for an individual to feel fulfilled and accomplish self-actualization. Simply living in Canada can provides the basic physiological needs (food, sleeping, breathing, etc.) that many struggle to achieve in other parts of the world. But the other needs are defined as safety, belonging, esteem, and eventually self-actualization. All these can be facilitated by promoting a healthy community…
While moving into my new office, Nathan left behind a bookmark on his desk that reads, "How to build a community."
I'll leave you with its recommendations. Get to know your neighbours. Look up and greet people. Go for walks. Have potlucks. Hold the door for others. Share what you have. Tell stories. Encourage. Laugh.