St. Albert RCMP officers will have a new commander this spring with this week’s announcement of the replacement for former detachment head Supt. Warren Dosko.
Staff Sgt. Kevin Murray will take over the detachment in April and will be promoted to become an inspector at that time.
Murray, who is currently posted to Port Alberni, B.C., comes to St. Albert with 23 years of service under his belt and said he is excited about the new posting.
He said he has been looking for a new opportunity and wanted the change to lead a detachment in a community. He said when he saw the posting for St. Albert’s detachment head he immediately applied.
“When I saw St. Albert that certainly fit the bill in every respect,” he said. “It became apparent to me that if I was able to get a position like that it would be a real plum.”
Murray said he has been impressed with what he has seen about what the detachment is already doing on neighbourhood development and working with youth through the 40 assets program.
He said the 40 assets program seems like a great way to engage with youth, which he believes is really important.
“I worked in a lot of smaller communities throughout my service and had a lot of engagement, both personally and professionally, with youth and to me that is critical,” he said. “The police, we are just one part, it takes a whole community.”
He said with a city the size of St. Albert he believes neighbourhood development can help to maintain the small town feel that helps make a community feel safe.
“You really want to work to maintain that feeling that people can trust their neighbours and you want people to engage with each other to help with crime prevention.”
In terms of what he wants to bring to the position, Murray said he plans to create an open-door policy and to make sure the RCMP remains a strong part of the community.
“For me, something I always like to bring to any position is just a genuine desire to work with people to create positive relationships, not only in the workplace, but between the police and the community,” he said. “I am sure these relationships have existed, but just ensuring that we continue to maintain excellent relationships with our external partners.”
Murray said one of the advantages he sees to the RCMP’s rotation system is that it allows officers to experience a variety of approaches.
“I think it is good organizationally for us to move and to experience new places and take our skills and abilities to new communities and experience what they have.”
Murray intends to come to the community in April. He said initially his wife and son will stay behind, while his son finishes high school.
“You can’t possibly time everything perfectly. You apply to positions and you never know if you are going to get them, but you don’t want those communities to go by, because communities like St. Albert aren’t a dime a dozen.”
St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse said council didn’t interview Murray directly, but was able to give suggestions to the city manager who was part of the process.
He said in that submission they said they wanted an officer who would continue the work on youth development and neighbourhood initiatives and ensure drug trafficking did not become a significant presence in the community.
He said essentially council wanted someone who would continue the work the city has already done to be a safe community.
“That is continuing the program year after year, sending the same message to our youth.”
Dosko, who served in the community for five years, was transferred to Red Deer to become head of that community’s detachment in November.
