"Suit Of Blue" brings into full view the poignant moments of one of Ontario, Canada's first female police officers assigned to general patrol duties. She was an officer in Peel Region, right next to Toronto. Heather worked all shifts without a partner, responding to the same calls as her male counterparts. Suit of Blue is a must read for anyone interested to move behind the scenes into some of the most emotionally charged situations affecting police officers, male or female. Twists of irony and humour thread through an unrelenting undercurrent of action and anguish, and of physical and emotional trauma on the job. As well, Suit of Blue will capture readers with its ripple effects on the author's personal life as a wife of a police officer and mother of two children. Suit of Blue provides an important contrast to today's reality when female police chiefs and other female officials are common in Ontario.
About the Author: Heather Hodgson Schleich (nee Brush) grew up in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. Her father was an abusive alcoholic. Not surprisingly, her mother raised five children on her own, at a time when single parenting was unusual and even shunned. Although the youngest child of a poor family, Heather earned her first degree from York University. While growing up, Heather's hero was the police officer who visited her school. This experience influenced her life significantly. When she became the captain of her elementary school's safety patrol, she decided that she was going to become a 'real' police officer who responded to calls and helped people. It was a difficult era for females to enter policing. Those who were hired were usually assigned as matrons or crossing guards. Heather became a civilian dispatcher with the Toronto Police. She loved this position, but, continued her quest to be a police officer. Finally, Heather was hired by Peel Regional Police in 1974 and became one of the first females assigned to police general patrol duties in Ontario. She responded to the same calls as her male counterparts, without a partner, on all shifts. Heather married and had two children during her police career. She was the first general patrol officer in Peel Region to go on maternity leave. Later, she was assigned to the Safety Bureau where she excelled at researching and designing safety and drug education programs and presenting them in schools, the community, at conferences and elsewhere. Soon thereafter she was consulting for the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Drug Abuse Committee and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police during her career. Although she was only a sergeant, she researched, wrote and presented her paper on behalf of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police at a conference in Berlin, Germany. She received many unique awards, including one from the Solicitor General of Ontario. Heather was injured while trying to arrest an impaired driver. The injuries resulted in permanent damage. Soon thereafter she left her policing career to become a highly successful professor at Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology. Her love for drug and alcohol education resulted in an exciting career in this field. Heather also served as a board member for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and is currently an active alumna. A believer in life-long learning, Heather holds a Master's Degree in Education.