Duane Hicks
The local Police Services Board bid farewell to Insp. Steve Shouldice on Friday.
After 19 years with the Rainy River District OPP, including the last six as detachment commander here, Insp. Shouldice accepted a position as manager of Business and Finance at the OPP East Region Headquarters in Smiths Falls.
“We watched Steve grow from a sergeant to a staff sergeant to inspector, all within the detachment area, and I think he’s done a remarkable job for the community and, certainly, for the Police Services Board,” chair John McTaggart said during the PSB’s monthly meeting at the Civic Centre.
“I think I can speak for the entire board: we’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with you,” he added.
“You’ve been responsive to our needs, you’ve listened to us–even when you didn’t want to listen to us, you’ve listened yo us,” McTaggart chuckled.
“We’re sad to see you leaving,” he added. “We wish you all the very best and much success.
“I know you’re only a few short years away from retirement, and hopefully your retirement goes well.”
As a token of appreciation, McTaggart presented Insp. Shouldice with a Cher Pruys print of the Noden Causeway.
McTaggart said hopefully it will help elicit fond memories of the community in years to come.
As previously reported, the new position will allow Insp. Shouldice and his wife, Carrie, to live closer to family, including their two children, Ryan and Taylor.
Carrie Shouldice will continue with her job at Gillons’ Insurance here by working long-distance.
Insp. Shouldice’s final day here is this coming Friday.
He will be replaced by Insp. Nathan Schmidt, who currently works as the manager of Operational Support at the OPP regional headquarters in Thunder Bay and who Insp. Shouldice said will “bring a great deal of experience” to the position here.
Insp. Schmidt will assume the role in January.
In other news, local OPP has been very busy so far the year.
As of the end of October, police had laid 1,605 charges, nearly 400 more than the year-end total last year.
But Insp. Shouldice clarified this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s been an upsurge in crime–it means the public has become more willing to report incidents.
“If there’s an increase, it usually has to do with more being reported to us,” he noted.
“We know that a lot of stuff goes unreported. Things happen and people don’t report it to us,” Insp. Shouldice added, guessing some people maybe feel their case couldn’t be solved.
He noted one example is when someone reports that their garage was broken into.
Police will be on the scene, and then the victim’s neighbour will come over and relate that their garage also had been broken into but they didn’t call the police.
In other business, PSB members agreed to take part in the annual “Stuff-A-Cruiser” food drive, which is coming up Dec. 9.
They will be at The Place starting at 10 a.m. that day.
