Oak Bay will welcome the 13th police chief in its history when Andrew Brinton takes office on April 22. The 51-year-old Brinton, currently a staff sergeant and detachment commander with Powell River RCMP, takes over from Mark Fisher.
Fisher is stepping down after 21Ú2 years with Oak Bay to lead the RCMP in Nanaimo.
Brinton brings 32 years of service to his new post, including stints as a watch commander in Parksville and a non-commissioned officer with the West Coast Marine Detachment. He said Powell River and Oak Bay have some similarities.
“Actually, Powell River population-wise and the office itself are very, very similar,” he said. “And then I’ve worked in Parksville and that sort of thing, so it’s not totally unfamiliar territory.”
Oak Bay has 24 police officers while Powell River has 26.
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen, chairman of the Oak Bay Police Board, said that Brinton stood out in a group of well-qualified applicants.
“He’s got the kind of experience that we’re looking for, and we’re very pleased with the approach that we’ve seen him take in Powell River regarding community policing, which is the mainstay of Oak Bay,” Jensen said.
“We have a ‘no-call-too-small’ policy where the officers of the department are really part and parcel of the community, and help not only solve criminal issues but other issues.”
Brinton said he is looking forward to his time in Oak Bay.
“The first thing I’m going to have to do when I get there is kind of get my feet on the ground and assess the lay of the land,” he said.
He will get a start on that Sunday when he pays a visit to the municipality for an orientation session with Fisher.
Brinton said Fisher has a solid reputation that he will try to live up to.
“My role is just to carry on with what sounds like some pretty positive momentum.”
Brinton will be moving here with his wife. He has two grown sons, one attending the University of Victoria and one at the University of Toronto.
