DIDSBURY - Didsbury RCMP's top cop will be leaving the detachment at the end of April to take over as commander of the Airdrie RMCP detachment.
Sgt. Kimberley Pasloske will assume her new command on May 23 and will receive a promotion to inspector in mid-June.
Pasloske has spent 20 years with the RCMP including the last two in Didsbury. She began her police career in Port Alberni, B.C. and also spent time in Fort McMurray and in Calgary with major crimes.
"It's the same position," said Pasloske. "It's a detachment command position, but instead of 15 employees there are considerably more. It's around 90."
Pasloske sent a resume back in September, which had to go through a process of three levels of approval. She then had to write an exam, and have a lengthy interview.
"Once you do all that you are qualified to be an officer," she said. "This is an officer's position, so it's just one of the officer's positions that are available in Alberta.
"The city invited me to do an interview and so I did. They were happy with what they say so they agreed to it and the RCMP agreed to it."
She said the position is the same but the scope is larger.
"It's an executive type position," she said. "It's a full-on municipal policing contract versus a provincial contract here (in Didsbury)."
Pasloske told the Gazette that she is sad to be leaving the job in Didsbury.
"It's my hometown," she said. "So it's bittersweet. I grew up in Carstairs. This area is my hometown."
She does plan to still live here with her family and commute to Airdrie.
"I love the people here," she said. "The people are engaged. I like that the members are engaged with the people.
"I love what we've been able to achieve in the last couple years. I think we've had some huge successes. I'm really proud of both the detachment and the community."
Pasloske said that one of the highlights of her time in Didsbury was having the detachment becoming more streamlined.
"This last year we really paid attention to efficiency," she said. "Being more effective at our job; streamlining things so we are getting the members out on the road more. That's really a huge thing."
Pasloske expects that the crimes and criminal elements will be similar in Airdrie.
"We actually share a lot of the similar crimes and many of the same perpetrators between Airdrie and Didsbury," she said.
"Although it's a city it has similar property crimes than we have. We have some spillover from the city (Calgary) and, of course, because of their proximity they have more spillover."
Cpl. Resus Organ will be the interim detachment commander after Pasloske leaves until a new commander is named.
