International Womens Day: Celebrating Ottawas Sgt. Maria Keen [Video]

Patrolling the streets is where Sgt. Maria Keen thrives most, it’s her chance to connect with the community.

“Everyday I can come out here, drive around make sure people are safe, go to calls,” said Keen, a member of the Ottawa Police Service.

She first joined the Nepean police in 1992, becoming the first female Filipina officer in Canada. Throughout her career, she’s worked towards building public trust, advocating for diversity and inclusion and championing women in policing.

“Early in my career realized, okay you’re not just Maria- you are a racialized minority who is also a female and how can you use that to help people?” she said.

With her efforts, OPS hired its most diverse recruit class in 2020. Forty percent of the new recruits identifying as female and 87.5% as a member of a marginalized group.

“My recruit class had 48 people almost half of them were …