“I never wanted to be in a job that would have me confined to an office pushing paper,” says Jenny Constantine, owner of a mobile nail service called Junique Nails, based in Diego Martin, Trinidad. That’s also one of the reasons behind her other career choice: police officer. “I have been a police officer for eight years,” says Constantine. “I like the action, the energy, working with people — all the excitement.”

In particular, she was drawn to working with firearms. “In 2003 after firing my first gun I realized I had become somewhat like a God in terms of having the power to take life,” she says. “I wanted to know how firearms worked. How could man take pieces of metal, some black powder, and take lives and take over countries? I wanted to know the mechanics of it.” She satisfied this curiosity by becoming an armourer — a person who repairs and maintains firearms.
“I am a certified Smith and Wesson M & P 9mm armourer capable of repairing countless rifles, handguns, shotguns, revolvers, etc.,” she says. “On a typical day, I check the requests for repairs of firearms and available staff and distribute tasks to the team. Most days we repair different firearms and test for serviceability by firing them off. We troubleshoot problems and even visit police stations to check their weapons and storage facilities. Most times they are amazed to see a competent and capable female officer doing it. I always laugh at that!
“The job has it has its ups and downs, but I love it.”

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