Duane Hicks
The Rainy River District detachment of the OPP will see a new detachment commander as of May 11.
S/Sgt. John Kendrick, who presently is the OPP’s regional traffic manager in Thunder Bay but soon will be promoted to inspector, was appointed about two weeks ago after the Fort Frances and Atikokan police services boards and OPP finished up interviews for the position.
“I am looking forward to it,” S/Sgt. Kendrick said Friday. “I am well aware of Fort Frances and their community partnerships.
“I am excited about coming and participating in the community,” he added.
S/Sgt. Kendrick has 25 years of police experience, including the past 11 in the North West Region, serving as detachment commander in Pickle Lake and Marathon before taking on his current position for the last two years.
He said he wants to get familiar with the community, its needs and what it expects from its police service, and work with the community to achieve those goals.
S/Sgt. Kendrick also said he’s well aware of the partnerships the local OPP has built up with community groups, and that’s one of things that attracted him here.
“When I was in Marathon as detachment commander, we based some of our community partnerships we were getting in place there, in particular the community justice program and the D.A.R.E. program, we used Fort Frances as the example of what to do.
“That’s when I first started becoming familiar with Fort Frances, and had a keen interest since then,” he remarked.
S/Sgt. Kendrick was born in North Bay, grew up in Pickering, and started his policing career in Owen Sound. He will be moving here from Thunder Bay with his wife and two children.
“We look forward to working with John,” said John McTaggart, who chairs the Fort Frances police services board. “He brings lots of detachment experience with him. He’s been to Pickle Lake and Marathon.
“We’re pleased to have him coming to Fort Frances, and we look forward to working with him.”
McTaggart noted both the Fort Frances and Atikokan police services boards had seats on the interview panel, and that decision to choose S/Sgt. Kendrick was as much a community-based decision as an OPP one.
“We’ve had good input into the process,” he stressed.
S/Sgt. Kendrick takes over the job left vacant by Insp. Dave Lucas, who relocated to Kenora back in January.
S/Sgt. Steve Shouldice has been acting superintendent in the interim.
