Recruitment is a national priority for the RCMP, says Whitehorse RCMP Const. Calista McLeod.

While there was a time when a hopeful recruit could wait more than two years for a job opening, RCMP predict a lack officers in the coming years with baby boomers approaching retirement.

'They're anticipating this big gap with people leaving,' McLeod said in a recent interview. 'There is going to be that big hole to fill.'

One of the ways Yukon RCMP are seeking to recruit new officers is through information sessions throughout the territory.

In the Whitehorse area, there are about six information sessions per year with another three or four in the communities, says Sgt. Randy Fraser.

Last week, Fraser and McLeod hosted a recruitment session at Yukon College with about 11 people in attendance.

One of the main goals of these sessions is to educate the public about what qualities RCMP look for in a potential officer, Fraser said.

These include being a team player, showing leadership, being involved in the community and integrity.

'Integrity must be uncompromised, it's as simple as that,' Fraser said to the group. 'And it goes without saying.'

While young people over the age of 19 are being recruited heavily, there has been an increase in older applicants over the past few years, according to Fraser.

'We've had a lot more mature applicants, 40-plus,' he said. 'They work out very well because they bring life experience.'

Young people also have attributes the RCMP seek out. Since they may not have seen or done a great deal, they can be shaped and molded within the job, Fraser said.

Another priority for the RCMP is to recruit a more diverse workforce. In the Yukon specifically, police are encouraging first nations people to apply to the force, Fraser said.

Making the police force more representative of the demographics within the community they serve is an ongoing goal for the RCMP, McLeod said.

'With regards to any visible minorities, Canada is such a multicultural place that we like to get (the recruitment message) out there to everyone. Especially in areas where the (statistics) aren't representative of the people we have in Canada,' she said.

'In the Yukon . . . one of the big cultures that we have here in first nations. That's part of why that would be part of our target. Because that's what the Yukon consists of.'

Currently, 21 per cent of Yukon RCMP employees are first nations and 19.8 per cent of police officers are of first nations descent.

While 10 per cent of RCMP workers are women, five per cent of police officers are women.

At the recruitment meeting, seven of the 11 attendees were men.

The statistics on the force itself are an estimate and may not be entirely accurate. Supplying the RCMP with personal information for statistical use race, culture, ethnicity and so on is optional.

Having a representative force, with officers from many different groups, makes for a stronger force, according to McLeod.

'Everybody that joins the RCMP brings with them their own experiences, their own knowledge, their own background,' she said. 'All the information that different people bring to it just enrich our ability to serve the public and the community.'

'The more information you have, the better you're able to help people.'

The territorial campaign will feature photos and materials of Yukoners who have joined the force.

The full application process can take up to 18 months. It includes physical fitness tests, auditory, vision, dental and medical exams, a written aptitude test, background checks, interviews and cadet training.

Fraser plans to send 15 new recruits to the training centre, Depot, in Regina this year.

'For young people, there has never been a better time to apply,' he said.