Staff Sergeant Jillian McLaren joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at the age of 19, graduating Depot in 2004. S/Sgt McLaren spent her first years on the force as a detachment investigator serving First Nations areas in her home territory of Saskatchewan. Her primary duties were to provide frontline policing services for all types of crimes ranging from property offenses to serious crimes. She also served as a recruit field training officer. 

During her almost 20 years with RCMP, S/Sgt. McLaren has traveled across Canada and worked a variety of assignments, encompassing 11 different postings, from frontline constable to her current role as detachment commander. Her positive demeanor and attitude in each of these positions has earned her multiple awards and recognition from both her peers and the communities she serves. 

S/Sgt. McLaren was selected as the first RCMP female tactical training instructor for British Columbia Pacific Regions Training, where she taught firearms skills and other in-service training classes. She has maintained multiple certifications and is an adjunct instructor. 

The opportunity to interact with the community and lead on the front lines has always been a focal point of S/Sgt. McLaren’s career and service. Her ability be an effective leader in critical situations serves her well in this endeavor, including in one incident involving a challenging technical rescue of a female who was trapped on a cliff 300 feet up. S/Sgt. McLaren maintained command and coordination of all RCMP and partner agency assets to ensure the female was rescued, an outcome achieved due to S/Sgt. McLaren’s leadership.  

“My ability to mentor and assist other members now gives me as much satisfaction as any of my own experiences.”