Hailing from Ontario, Inspector Ted De Jager is four days into his new job as top cop of the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional Detachment.
“I’ve always wanted to be a Mountie. I wanted to be in the army and I wanted to be a Mountie, the army hired 17 year olds, the Mounties didn’t,” De Jager said.
De Jager served in the Canadian Forces for 15 years as a Combat Engineer Officer before spending almost two decades with the RCMP on the Lower Mainland.
He said one of his main priorities in the south Okanagan is to target prolific offenders responsible for committing the majority of property crimes.
“We do have a targeted enforcement team here in Penticton and my intent would be to expand that to the whole south Okanagan,” he said.
The push for more police officers in Oliver to cope with the rising number of calls from the jail is also on his radar.
“Working with our partners including the mayor of Oliver and with the correctional centre to make sure that we are meeting their needs as well.”
He also faced questions about marijuana dispensaries as three are still operating in Penticton despite a letter from the RCMP in March warning to cease operations or face arrest.
“In terms of the criminal side of that, that is an investigation that will continue to follow, so where that stands right now I won’t comment on that, other than to say that their actions are illegal,” De Jager said.
Like all superintendents across the country, De Jager will also have to deal with an internal labour dispute as members protest pay inequity as they plan to unionize.
“I would suspect that there are members that want to unionize but the certification process is underway so that is something that is happening already,” De Jager said.
Some Penticton Mounties are joining a nation-wide protest by refusing to wear the yellow stripes on their pant legs over wages.
“I would say it is not condoned, it is tolerated in this particular time as members want to express themselves,” he said.
When asked if Mounties are adequately paid, De Jager responded “that is not a decision for me to make.”