Insp. Myron Friesen is the Williams Lake RCMP’s new officer in charge.
He started the position on Friday, May 28 and replaces Insp. Jeff Pelley who left in April for a job as inspector of the Kamloops RCMP.
“I like it here,” Friesen told the Tribune when asked what he thinks about his new post.
“Everybody in the office is very friendly and seem great to work with. When I go out in public to do some walks around, people are friendly and say ‘hello.’ So far it’s a win-win.”
Friesen said the detachment in Williams Lake seems very familiar, with some little differences in reporting because every province has its unique ways of doing reporting.
“Obviously you want to see the crime severity index go down if possible,” he said when asked what he hopes for Williams Lake. “That would be, of course, my ultimate goal.”
He will be looking at the work done by Insp. Pelley and build on it, he added.
Read more: Some crime rates decreasing so far in 2021, Williams Lake RCMP Insp. reports
This will be Friesen’s first time being an inspector, but fifth time in charge of a detachment.
Originally from Saskatchewan, he joined the force in September 1989.
Creston, B.C. was his first post out of depot.
From there he went to the Yukon, where he had to agree to stay four years, but stayed for nine and a half.
While in the Yukon he was stationed in Whitehorse, Carmacks, Dawson City and then Ross River. From there he went to Barrhead, Alta for a short period of time before transferring to Walliston Lake, Sask., followed by Rosetown, Sask, High Prairie, Alberta and then Grande Prairie, Alta. as the District Advisory NCO before moving to become inspector in Williams Lake.
Throughout his whole career he has worked with Indigenous and First Nations people in communities.
“I’m very aware of some of the pressures they have had to experience and I feel for a lot of people. It’s very sad,” he said of the recent news about the 215 children buried at the former Kamloops Residential School.
Friesen and his wife love camping and fishing, and he’s looking forward to possibly hunting again now that he is living in the Cariboo.
When they were raising their children sports played a big role. Their daughter was into curling and their sons played hockey and baseball.
“I coached baseball and hockey, even before I had kids, so of course, having coached it before I had kids it made sense to coach when I did have kids.”
Recently he bought himself a new-to-him street bike and has enjoyed trail riding on a motorcycle in the past.
His first official meeting with city council will be through Zoom during the Tuesday, June 8 regular council meeting.
“It’s going to be very brief,” he said. “It’s just kind of an introductory thing because I haven’t met some of the councillors yet.”
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