White Rock has a not-so-new top cop in charge of the Pacific Avenue detachment.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob Dixon, who has worked in White Rock for five years, became acting detachment commander in White Rock last May, and was promoted to Staff Sergeant a couple of weeks ago, officially taking over the commander position.
Growing up in small-town Saskatchewan, Dixon remembered how the RCMP policed the area, and interacted with the public.
“They were approachable, caring and always sought to help. They would come into town on a Friday or Saturday night and stop and chat with us as teenagers,” he recalled.
”In those conversations, I learned about all the various opportunities within the RCMP. I always knew I wanted to be a police officer and the RCMP sounded like an adventure.”
After finishing his training at RCMP depot in Regina, Dixon started at the Surrey RCMP detachment, where he worked in frontline policing, the drug section, interview team and sex crimes.
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He was also fortunate to work a secondment to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), and in an ad hoc capacity on the E Division Provincial Interview Team, he noted.
What makes the White Rock position stand out are those he interacts and works with, Dixon said.
“I think the most enjoyable aspect of policing in White Rock are the people. The community itself and the members here at the detachment,” he said. “Our officers are very engaged, they truly care about their work and the community at large. The public is also very engaged and care about their neighbours. Successful policing happens when the community and the police work together – I get to see that in action in small and large ways everyday.”
Dixon lives in South Surrey, just across North Bluff Road, with his wife – who is also an RCMP member – and their nine-year-old daughter, and says the family manages its often-hectic work-life balance with “lots of meetings about schedules. And lots of coffee.”
Moving forward, Dixon said he plans to continue working on what his predecessor, Insp. Kale Pauls, started in relation to trying to address some of the traffic complaints in the city.
“I also hope to build on the collaboration that already exists with our partners in the community,” he said, noting that there are often times where police may not be the appropriate primary agency to be dealing with a situation, but officers end up being the first contact with people who are experiencing different types of crises.
“I would like to see us get to the stage where, maybe once or twice a month, we work hand-in-hand with agencies such as mental health and adult social services in attending certain calls or visiting certain clients,” said Dixon.
“In our work, we often come across people who require a bit of assistance, but are mostly flying under the radar. Being able to link those folks up with the appropriate resources could make a huge difference in their lives.”
