Getting to know the community, forging relationships with residents of all ages and building public trust are top priorities for the new commander of the Sundre RCMP detachment.
Sgt. Jody Achtymichuk, who brings with him 16 years of varied police experience, assumed his new responsibilities on Oct. 1.
Originally raised in Saskatchewan on a family farm near the small rural community of Kamsack, he relocated to Alberta for a while after graduating high school before eventually deciding to launch a new career in policing, a path that he had pondered about as long as he can remember.
“Ever since I was a young boy, I always saw the RCMP officers in my community where I grew up as role models,” he said last week during an interview in his new office. He added that positive interactions with members of the RCMP there inspired him to pursue a career in policing.
“Right from when I was a little kid, I had decided it would be something I’d like to do.”
Since graduating from depot’s six-month training program in 2002, the officer has worked in a few communities, including several in Manitoba, before his last post as the commander of the detachment in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, where he spent three years after deciding to experience life in Northern Canada.
Along the way, Achtymichuk developed his extensive background by pursuing opportunities in federal policing during some time with RCMP headquarters in Winnipeg, where he worked in departments that investigated major crimes, auto theft, historical — or cold — cases, as well as covert operations.
The 42-year-old married father of two said that until the position in Sundre presented itself, he and his wife had planned to remain in Nunavut a while longer but did not think twice about a change.
“My wife and I had experienced Alberta, and we like the area.”
Having once lived in Whitecourt before enlisting with the RCMP, the sergeant said he developed an affinity for Alberta and decided the province would be a good place to come back to and raise his family. So Achtymichuk did not hesitate to apply when the detachment’s former commander, Jim Lank, announced his intention to retire.
“The community has everything that we want — or close by — that we need,” he said.
“We like outdoor activities, and we’re close to the mountains…this community has lots to offer,” he said, adding his wife agreed Sundre would be a good place to establish some roots and meet new people. They have recently been settling into their new home.
“Everyone that we’ve met has been very friendly and welcoming.”
Although the officer still sees before him a lengthy career and does not yet have plans to retire in mind, he also expressed a desire to stay in Sundre for the foreseeable future.
“We have no plans of leaving any time soon.”
During his time in Sundre, Achtymichuk said he looks forward to working with the community and getting to know people.
“I like meeting new people, and talking to people — that’s what keeps me going. Being in a detachment like Sundre is one of those jobs that’s satisfying for me because I’m here for people, and I’m willing to help them,” he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about helping people — that’s what got me here today.”
Among his goals is to build public trust so residents do not hesitate to call police when they witness suspicious behaviour or need assistance.
Programs such as Crime Stoppers, Rural Crime Watch and Citizens on Patrol are an important part of the crime fighting equation, he said.
“We need those partners,” he said, adding that keeping such programs going is among his priorities.
The more people keeping a watchful eye on the community, the less likely criminals are to get away scot-free, he said. And even though stopping all instances of crime is not realistically feasible, he said establishing a strong rapport between the police and community plays a substantial and proven role in as much as possible reducing criminal activity.
“We have to work together — that’s the only way we’re going to combat crime, specifically property crime.”
There naturally are other priorities, “but that’s a big one,” he said, adding that to ensure the highest rate of success, “police and community have to work together.”
The government has also taken some good steps by introducing a Crime Reduction Unit for the province to help individual detachments tackle crime, he said.
Despite some common perceptions about policing, punitive enforcement measures — from writing tickets to making arrests — only entail part of the job. Preventive programs and community outreach, including school presentations, are important in raising awareness as well as educating people, he said.
Even dating back to his early days as a constable, Achtymichuk said interacting with and engaging people, especially youth — and by extension building relationships with the community — has always been one of his priorities.
There are sometimes negative attitudes towards police because the job does involve doling out, for example, speeding tickets, “But we’re out there trying to keep our roads safe. It’s about keeping the peace and keeping people safe. At the end of the day, that’s the bottom line.”
