A female Etobicoke police officer is being recognized for helping at-risk girls tackle some of life’s biggest challenges.

Jennifer Dekezel, an officer with the force’s Community Response Unit, started the Girlz Will Be Girlz program eight years ago after receiving a call from an elementary school principal in a high-crime area.

“The principal had me in and I spoke with a few young girls who were being bullied, and I spoke to the bullies too,” said Dekezel.

The principal was impressed with Dekezel, and asked her to come back.

The group started with just four girls, meeting weekly. Now it has grown to close to 25 girls between eight and 17 years old, with some girls coming back year after year.

Dekezel has been presented with a Special Recognition Award for her work by the Association of Black Law Enforcers.

Principals and teachers refer students to Dekezel’s group. They can be newcomers, introverts, bullying victims, or bullies themselves or anyone who might benefit from bonding with a group and a strong mentor.

Dekezel takes the girls on outings, as well as individual activities like back-to-school shopping and ice cream trips. She has also sat in hospital rooms after suicide attempts and taken late-night phone calls from girls who need someone to talk to.

Dekezel, who is from Manitoba is half Trinidadian and half Italian. She didn’t know her parents growing up and was adopted by a Winnipeg family of Belgian and Scottish-English heritage.

Some of the girls who have been with Dekezel have gone on to start groups of their own, like one 12-year-old who started an anger-management group at her school.

One of the biggest differences Dekezel has noticed is with newcomer girls, who come from communities where police are viewed with suspicion.

“Having a police officer who is a friend makes a huge difference,” she says. “Those girls go and talk to their parents, who talk to their neighbours, and the list goes on.”

The group receives partial funding from Pro-Action Cops and Kids with Dekezel covering the rest out of her own pocket. She is in search of sponsors.

Story by Kevin Masterman, Toronto Police Service.