Vancouver Islands RCMP has seen a change of the guard this month, with new heads for the Island district and the West Shore detachment, as well as the transfer of a detachment commander into an operational role at district headquarters.
The new chief superintendent is Randy Wilson, who intends to bring a strong emphasis on front-line policing, improved communications and new-recruit training. Insp. Mark Fisher will take command of the West Shore Detachment, filling the role vacated by Insp. Jim Faulkner, who has been named operations officer at the RCMPs Island District Headquarters.
Wilson and Fisher met with the Times Colonist to discuss their priorities and plans in their new roles.
Chief Supt. Randy Wilson
When Vancouver Islands new top cop, Chief Supt. Randy Wilson, enters the boardroom at the RCMP headquarters on Nanaimo Street in Victoria, he walks past the head of the table and settles into a side chair, suggesting the man is more about getting things done than standing on ceremony.
Wilson, 55, comes to the role in his 33rd year of RCMP service, which took him from the provinces most northern post at Atlin to the heart of the national police force in Ottawa, where he was an internal audit principal and security travel officer for then prime minister Jean Chrétien.
The married father of two and grandfather of one is comfortable in the coasts marine environment, having spent a brief sabbatical as an electronics technician on an Arctic oilfields dredging ship.
He will oversee 26 detachments, 800 police officers and a total Island district staff of 1,200, including support staff, at a time when the RCMPs provincial reputation is under siege most recently as a result of the Braidwood inquiry investigating the now-famous Taser-related death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski.
That, says Wilson, is not as big a problem for officer morale as is dealing with growing needs in a shrinking economy. Were in pretty tough shape. Its not that obvious to the public, but what were coming to is a crunch, said Wilson. The reality is its on the backs of the front-line officers on the streets who refuse to not provide a professional service, who refuse to let our reputation falter, who are concerned about their communities and are over-extending themselves by way of overtime activities or volunteer activities. Its just starting to hit them at a point where were getting more illness, more stress issues, and it can impact decision-making.
Wilson plans to adapt to this environment by taking a proactive approach to policing, building tighter links to community groups, while emphasizing the need for families to instill values to create safer communities. Parents have to do their parenting, teachers do their teaching and social workers do their social work, Wilson said. If they take care of that, then the police dont have to do it. Were doing a lot of that now were the parents, the teachers and the social workers. If the community would take care of that, then we could focus on our forté, the things were good at.
Insp. Mark Fisher
Insp. Mark Fisher moves from his position with the provinces Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat to take over the West Shore RCMP detachment, which oversees five municipalities and two First Nations communities.
An 18-year veteran who has commanded the Creston and Bella Coola detachments, Fisher said the challenge in overseeing such a wide range of communities is to make sure he talks often with mayors and First Nations leaders.
Its challenging to get out and see them all, but its important to maintain consultation and be approachable. You cant simply sit in isolation and guess what their policing needs are, said Fisher, who sees drug issues and daytime property theft as top crime problems in the West Shore.
The West Shore has a commuter culture, which means many homes are vacant during the day, creating an attractive target for criminals, he said.
With 58 officers covering an area that extends from Metchosin to the Highlands, and includes the burgeoning populations of Colwood, Langford and View Royal, Fisher said residents need to make their homes less appealing to thieves. That includes making sure their landscaping leaves a clear view from the street to their homes, locking doors on homes and cars, and most importantly, getting to know their neighbours. Its the best way to fight property crime, Fisher said.
Commuter culture isnt the only contributing factor, he said new developments can also be more attractive to criminals, since residents dont know each other as well as they do in established neighbourhoods.