Some police officers have side jobs, but not many are actively pursuing singing careers in their off-hours.
Jacqueline Pierre, a Longueuil Police constable, might be the exception.
Pierre first wowed coworkers with her powerful voice at an event to thank volunteers.
Too often, she says, people have rigid stereotypes about the police.
“I want people to see that I’m human and that I can do anything – something else than giving tickets,” she said.
Too often, she says, people have rigid stereotypes about the police.
“They think we’re over them – that we don’t understand their misery, we don’t understand their reality – which is not true,” Pierre added.
Pierre says she has loved music all her life, joining the choir at her father’s church when she was only five years old.
She’s tried out for prominent singing competitions like Canadian Idol and La Voix, and although law enforcement became a more stable career choice, Pierre’s talent has come in handy on the job.
Recently, Pierre used her music to distract a depressed mother and her children, hosting an impromptu sing-along during a recent trip to the hospital.
She met her husband – a teacher – while doing community outreach for the police in schools.
Pierre uses music to keep a healthy distance from the sadness she encounters during her patrols.
“The second I get on a call and get into an argument with somebody – somebody who got hurt or hit by a parent or a wife, a husband – when I get in the car, the radio’s on,” she explained.
Although Pierre still wishes for a paid singing career, she says she is happy to stay on the force until then. Singing, she believes, helps her to be a better police officer.
“That feeling I have, I’m like ‘oh my god,’” she said. “So that’s what I want to give to people,” she added.
