For more than 25 years, Elizabeth Popovich has been at the center of hundreds of cases for the Regina Police Service. As a member of the communications team, Popovich was relentless through social media, press releases, and speaking at community events.
Popovich is officially retiring from her position, and while she was not directly responding to the crimes, she was about to report them.
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Global News sat down with Popovich to reflect on his time with the Regina police, as well as how policing has changed over the last three decades.
Q: How are you feeling about retiring? It must be a bitter sweet moment.
A: You know, bittersweet is actually the perfect word for it because I’m ready to retire. I haven’t made a big deal out of it, but I tell people I’m actually a senior citizen so I can retire. And I’ve come to the end of 25 years with the Regina Police Service and so it just felt like the right time.
But I’m really going to miss the people and the work and the connections in the community because over the years I’ve gotten to do so many things and so many events in the community that I’ve made some really sweet friendships there that I know will continue .
Q: And what are some moments or incidents from your career that will stick with you?
A: “You know, it’s tough because the conclusion of an investigation is, again, the word bittersweet comes to mind because you can say we’ve solved it. Somebody has been charged and held accountable in the courts. But you’ve always known that it started with something sad and painful. And so you’ve always had mixed feelings about it.
I would say some of the things that really stand out to me the most are probably the cases that are still unsolved because we would love nothing more than to be able to provide answers to the families of the victims or the families of any missing persons.
Q: How do you look back on your 25 year career here?
A: “The Regina Police Service has given me wonderful opportunities to learn about my own privilege and how I can take action to make the world more just. Cal Johnston, one of our former chiefs, used to say that ‘The goal is always to create a community where everyone lives well together.’ And I know that’s not the reality right now. And so, we all have a lot of work to do as a society. And I give credit to this place for teaching me that.
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