The RCMP has named a new Officer in Charge for the Sea to Sky, Kara Triance.
Triance has 16 years of policing experience under her belt, including in Bella Bella, Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport. She most recently served as the Rural Area Commander for the Vernon/North Okanagan region.
Triance will oversee policing in the communities of Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, Bowen Island and Lion's Bay. The Officer in Charge for the Sea to Sky Detachment also has a working relationship with the Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service in Mount Currie and the Squamish Nation Peacekeepers in Squamish.
A release Tuesday announcing her appointment said Triance's trademarks are "community partnerships, leadership, strategic planning in concert with municipal Councils, fiscal management and a strong operational policing foundation."
Triance replaces Insp. Neil Cross, who announced his departure last month. Cross has served in the Sea to Sky for a decade, including six years as Officer in Charge. He will take on a new position in Departmental Security for the RCMP's Northwest Region, which covers Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
"Under his leadership he has overseen policing during major Corridor initiatives such as the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the region has experienced decreasing crime rates and high levels of satisfaction in police services during his tenure," the release stated.
In the Whistler RCMP's mid-year report to council last week, Cross revealed that violent crime went down from 132 incidents between January and August 2015 to 112 incidents over the same period this year. Property crime was also down.
“On behalf of the Whistler community I would like to thank Neil for his leadership and community service during the past decade, he will be missed and we wish him well in his senior role in central Canada,” said Acting Mayor Jenn Ford in the release. “We are very pleased to welcome Kara and look forward to continuing to have a strong and collaborative relationship with our RCMP partner.”
“Squamish is equally thrilled to welcome Kara and her family to Sea to Sky and to Squamish, and we wish Inspector Neil every success in his new role, and thank him for his Sea to Sky service,” said District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “Kara brings with her a diverse background and proven track record of progressive-minded leadership, and has all the skills necessary to manage the very dynamic Sea to Sky communities from Bowen Island to Pemberton and beyond.”
