City Council to introduce new Officer in Charge of Prince Rupert RCMP detachment at tonight's Council session

Prince Rupert City Council will be hosting a presentation
tonight from the new Officer in Charge of the city's
RCMP detachment

Sergeant Gerald Walker and his family have been in Prince Rupert since the middle of May and tonight at City Council, the Mayor and Council members will officially welcome the new Officer in Charge of the Prince Rupert detachment of the RCMP to the city.

The introductions are set for the start of tonight's 7 PM council session, where the Council members and the public may gain some insight into how the new OIC plans to approach policing in the community.

The Sergeant Walker and his wife and RCMP member Angela Spicer arrived in Prince Rupert from their most recent posting of Lake Louise, Alberta, the scenic tourist town in the heights of the Rockies.

We outlined some of the travels for the Sergeant and his family in our notes of May upon the announcement by the RCMP of his new appointment. 

His opening remarks for the community hit all the right notes at the time.

"After visiting family here while growing up, Prince Rupert has always been a place we wanted to call home. My family and I are excited to experience the community and opportunities it presents. I look forward to meeting with our partners and stakeholders, and working with my colleagues to provide the service this City deserves."  -- Sgt. Gerald Walker upon arrival in May 2021.

His arrival marks the end of some temporary administration for the local detachment which has been without a full time OIC for over two years, that since the departure of Inspector Blake Ward.

It's worth noting that there seems to have been a change in how the Detachment will be managed moving forward, with the RCMP seemingly shifting the Prince Rupert position from the ranks of an Inspector and turning over the command to the Sergeant level.

While they may want to ease into the conversation on policing, Council has in the past expressed some notes of interest that they would like to share with Detachment officials, so tonight may mark the start of that dialogue, with hopes for more public sessions with the new OIC to come in the future.

More notes on tonight's Council Session can be explored through our preview page here.

A look at some of the work of the local constabulary and all emergency responders across the Northwest can be reviewed from our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.