Earlier this year, coworkers secretly nominated Acting Inspector Shawna Grimes for the 2016 Daughter of the Year awards, knowing she’d be embarrassed by the attention. But her track record speaks for itself, and nobody was surprised that she won—except maybe Shawna herself.
A member of EPS for 23 years, Shawna has held positions in Downtown Division Patrol, Training Section, Police Communications Branch, Sexual Assault Section and Homicide Section, of which she became the first female Staff Sergeant. Shawna also worked in a four-year secondment with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).
She is a member of the Victims of Homicide Support Society and sits on the board of the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE)—a volunteer position she continues to hold even though she no longer works in the Sexual Assault Section. “I didn’t realize how bad it was until I worked there,” she says of her time in Sexual Assault. “That crime is horrific, and the impact extends through generations.” She notes that even today, social biases and stigma make sexual assault one of the most misunderstood and underreported crimes.
As a mother of two teenage girls, Shawna does feel connected to the Daughters Day initiative. “It’s not just a women’s issue, it’s everyone’s issue. If we can create equality in general, for people of every gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion, the world will be a better place for my girls.”
Since 2012, Daughters Day has recognized inspiring women who make a difference in Edmonton in areas such as the arts, business, volunteerism, education, health, human rights, public service, science and sports. EPS Constable Mona Gill received a Daughter of the Year award in 2013.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Edwards / Edmonton Journal.