Thursday, July 18, 2013

RCMP introduce New Detachment Commander for Prince Rupert


There's a new top Cop at the Prince Rupert Detachment of the RCMP, with Inspector Wayne Maughan now in charge of the 6th Avenue Detachment.

The RCMP provided an introduction to the new Commander on Thursday, with a press release that outlined some of his past work in his 29 year career with the Federal police force.

A span of service of nearly three decades that has taken him from his first posting of Edson, Alberta, to the Qu'Appelle Detachment in Saskatchewan and then with promotion, to Fond Du Lac  First Nations Policing in Saskatchewan.

He has also worked in Regina twice, first as a  member of the Custom and Excise Unit, and again in 2001 as  Unit Supervisor for National Security, with promotions to Sergeant and then Staff Sergeant during his time in Regina.

He was commissioned to the Rank of Inspector in 2013 and named to the position of Detachment Commander for the Prince Rupert RCMP earlier this year.

His focus upon arrival in Prince Rupert has been to concentrate on youth, youth  programs and finding ways to get the Prince Rupert Detachment more involved with youth in the community, he is also looking to develop a strong relationship with the First Nation's community of the region.

One aspect of his past that may be of interest to local residents is his development of an Aboriginal Cadet program while at the  Fond Du Lac First Nation, which developed long lasting relationships with the Dene Nation in Saskatchewan.

As he learns more about Prince Rueprt, the challenges for the New Commander will include building better relations with local First Nations, with some high profile deaths in the community appearing to have sown some seeds of mistrust between the RCMP and local First Nations of late.

There is also the results of last years review of the Crime Severity Index which had the city listed as holding the eighth overall highest spot on that index, included in that rating was a ranking of fifth in violent crime, though some progress was found in last years statistics which showed a significant drop in other levels of criminal activity.

Beyond the normal policing duties involved with his position, Inspector Maughan will also have to keep up to speed on developments regarding the desire for a new detachment for the RCMP in the city.

As we outlined on the blog back in  March, that prospect suffered a setback this past spring, as Prince Rupert City Council voted against funding for a new detachment, owing to the city's fiscal troubles of the last year.

The hope being that the economic picture for the city improves over the next few years, allowing for the new detachment project to finally move forward.

You can learn more about the New Commander from this  background piece from the Prince Rupert Detachment.


(Photo above from RCMP press release)

July 24-- RCMP Inspector brings distinguished career to Prince Rupert detachment (N View e edition pg B3)
July 19-- Prince Rupert RCMP Welcome New Boss

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