Surrey Police Department-Thank Vikram Bajwa who demanded it.

Seattle WA

03 April, 2021

11:17 PM

Description

SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski All photo: SPS SURREY Police Service (SPS) on Thursday announced the appointment of five new members to the leadership team. It was Mayoral Candidate Vikram Bajwa, who in 2018 saw the need to have a Local Police Force for Surrey like Vancouver BC, his Platform, which current Mayor Doug McCallum adopted. With a blend of both municipal and RCMP and a depth of operational, investigative, and community policing experience, Bal Brach, Cliff Chastellaine, Jeff Harris, Jeff Metcalfe and Dawn Richards are the newest inspectors hired by SPS.  “These officers are key additions in building the infrastructure of the organization,” said SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. “Bringing a diverse and varied level of experience, they will assist in shaping the strategies for a community-centered policing model readying SPS for boots on the ground.”  The transition from a federal policing model to a local model is a complex and multifaceted initiative that is being strategically and methodically planned in partnership with key stakeholders at the municipal, provincial, and federal level and each new team member brought on has specific accountabilities and duties related to the transition plan, the deployment model and the building of policies and standards, according to the SPS. “As I have said since the outset of assuming the role of Chief, the transfer of policing responsibility will happen in an orderly and efficient manner. It will be done right, not fast and I am confident that Bal, Cliff, Jeff, Jeff and Dawn are going to be as committed to success as the rest of my team.” Inspector Bal Brach * Inspector Brach, a police officer for 25 years, joins SPS from his current role, as the Superintendent Senior Investigative Services Officer, Lower Mainland District RCMP, where he is responsible for integrated policing units throughout the Lower Mainland, including Emergency Response Team (ERT), Forensics (IFIS), Collision Analysts and Reconstruction (ICARS) and Major Case Investigations. Inspector Brach brings his unique experience and perspective to Surrey Police Service having worked extensively with several different communities and policing agencies (RCMP and municipal alike) throughout the Lower Mainland.  Inspector Cliff Chastellaine * From RCMP Auxiliary Constable to Superintendent, Chastellaine continues his pursuit to make a difference in serving Surrey, the community in which he lives. In his 25-year career with the RCMP he has worked across the Province of BC, Ottawa and Iqaluit, Nunavut. Inspector Chastellaine has extensive experience in front-line patrol, major crime, commercial crime and national security investigations. As the Superintendent, BC-RCMP Major Crime Section, he is the Operations officer for the Special Projects Unit, Unsolved Homicide Unit, Polygraph Unit, Interview Team, and Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT). Inspector Jeff Harris * Inspector Harris began policing in 1987 with the RCMP in Saskatchewan before joining the Vancouver Police Department in August 1991. He has a broad range of experience that spans across many policing specialty services including, Emergency Response Team, Emergency Operation & Planning Section, Professional Standards and Education and Training Sections.  He not only served to protect the public he also focused on officer wellness having served on the Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) where he helped many members recover from their involvement in traumatic incidents. Inspector Harris is presently the Duty Officer in the Operations Division at Vancouver Police Department. Inspector Jeff Metcalfe * A 24-year member of the RCMP, Inspector Metcalfe is no stranger to Surrey having served for a period of time at Surrey Detachment in general duty patrol, bike patrol section, serious crime and auto theft. Although his career took him across the Province, he is proud to continue to serve the community he resides in as an Inspector with the Surrey Police Service. Inspector Metcalfe is presently the Divisional Duty Officer, BC-RCMP Criminal Operations. Prior to this, he was the Officer in Charge of RCMP Digital Forensic Services.   Inspector Dawn Richards * Inspector Richards began her career in law enforcement with Canada