Const. Kwame Amoateng of the North Preston RCMP detachment says he hopes his work will positively impact a child’s life one day.
“I want them to feel seen and know that they are capable of anything. If I can achieve that, it would make my entire career as an RCMP officer a success,” he says.
Amoateng was born in Ghana and moved to Toronto at the age of eight. This is where he had his own first experience with an RCMP officer that greatly impacted his life.
“As a teenager, I found myself in a bit of trouble, and I ended up speaking with an RCMP officer,” explains Amoateng.
“The officer recognized that I was a young Black man and that because of my skin colour, my life would have its challenges. It was the first time I felt like someone took the time to talk to me, to see me for who I was, and it meant a lot to me. And ever since, I’ve been trying to pass on that same mentorship that I received from that officer in the work that I do.”