REGINA — When Const. Desiree Ates joined the Regina Police Service earlier this year, she made history as the force’s first Black female officer — something she didn’t realize until she was already on the path to policing.
Joining a police force had always been in the back of Ates’ mind, but she never knew the impact it could have.
Born on a U.S. Air Force base in Germany, Ates comes from a diverse background. Her father, who is Black, is from Georgia, U.S., and served in the military. Her mother is from Canoe Lake Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan.
Ates later moved to Regina, attending high school and university in the Queen City. When deciding on her future, she said she first wanted to explore and learn more about herself.
“I travelled a lot. And so I gained a lot of life experience through that. And then I decided that, Ok, I’m in my 30s now. Now it’s time to find a career.”
Unsure about her next step, Ates travelled to a military base in Arizona to learn more about serving.
“I knew that there was part of… an agency that I wanted to be a part of. But I just didn’t know what that really looked like, if it was going to be the military route or if it was going to be a police agency.”
Ates eventually enroled in the Saskatchewan Police College, unaware that the Regina Police Service had never had a Black female officer before.
“I had joked about it, just being like, ‘Oh, how great it would be to be the first Black female officer.’ Not knowing that that was an actual reality.”
Ates said learning the distinction was both surprising and understandable.
“Policing is a career that not everyone wants to get into. It’s a very niche career, and you have to be a certain type of person to get into policing. And not everyone enjoys that.”
She graduated from police college in December 2025 and recalled the pride her parents felt at the milestone.
“It was definitely a lot of proud moments that my parents have had over the last little bit.”
Representation matters
As the police service’s first Black female officer, Ates said representation is extremely important, noting that seeing someone who looks like you in uniform can encourage others to consider the career.
Ates believes Canadian police forces need to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
“We need different types of officers throughout the agency. And I think it’s one of those things that maybe somebody’s not as strong in communication, where I feel like I can maybe step up and have those conversations.”
She also said people sometimes feel more comfortable speaking with officers they can relate to.
“When somebody looks a little bit different or maybe looks like you, it’s like, oh, yes, I see that, and I want to speak to them.”
However, she acknowledged that experiences can vary.
“There are times where it is a benefit and that people do gravitate towards me, but then there are other times when they don’t, also. And that’s just part of it.”
Over the last few years, the Regina Police Service has identified a lack of representation within the force and has been working on strategies to become more inclusive.
Ates said that effort is part of adapting to a changing community.
“The more diverse our community gets, the more diverse the police agency, I think, should reflect that community that they’re serving and protecting.”
Looking ahead
Having joined the force in January, Ates plans to continue working as a patrol officer while exploring other opportunities within the RPS.
“I would love to do SWAT. I would love to do K-9. Forensics is really interesting to me. Being a spotter on the airplane would be really cool. So a school resource officer would be awesome.”
Beyond her policing career, Ates hopes one day to visit her mother’s home community.
“I would love to go and see where my mom’s from. But for now, I just take part in what I can from Regina or the surrounding areas.”
