(July 4, 2018) Chief of Police Shawn Dulude is pleased to announce that Sergeant Lee-Ann Beaudry has taken up her permanent position as Deputy Chief of Police of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS). This will mark the first female in AMPS history to hold this role. Lee-Ann Beaudry became the police service's first female sergeant in 2015, has become the highest-ranking female officer in AMPS history and one of the very few high ranking indigenous female officers in Canada. 

Beaudry has dedicated 13 years of service with the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, and in that time, she has been a criminal investigator responsible for sexual assault and child abuse investigations, an in-service trainer for domestic violence investigations, and in 2015, she was promoted to sergeant with the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service. Since 2016, she has held many executive leadership roles within the service such as acting Deputy Chief and in 2017 Beaudry was appointed as acting Chief of Police. 

The police service itself has been in existence since 1970, and employs 33 officers, 6 public safety dispatchers and 3 civilian staff members. The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is one of 9 self-administered First Nations police services in Ontario. In 2017, the AMPS underwent an Organizational Review. This past year, the police service has experienced some major changes to its leadership and organization as a whole. The announcement of the first female leader of the nearly 50-year old organization marks a significant shift. As of July, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service currently has 3 female officers including Beaudry, which is far below the national average. Chief Dulude states that he believes this promotion will help attract other females to apply for the service by showing them that they will be recognized for their accomplishments and hard work. 

Deputy Chief Beaudry states that one of her main priorities is to ensure she can be available as a mentor for other women in the community and the police service. 

"I am excited to see the new change and the direction in which our police service is heading. I'm looking forward to being a part of that change. As an indigenous woman, I am proud to hold this leadership role and hope that it will encourage more women to pursue a career in policing. It's a huge responsibility to be a role model for the women not only within our service, as well as any women in our community who aspire to become police officers, and it is one that I will perform to the best of my capabilities."