The Sooke RCMP detachment has two new faces policing the community.
Cpl. Dawn Gilhen and Const. Jason Messenger joined the Sooke Mounties early September.
Both officers replaced Cpl. Andrew Baylis and Const. Chrissy Klein.
Gilhen’s experience with the RCMP is extensive.
She was first stationed for two years in Ucluelet, then transferred over the Whalley, a region of Surrey, for another two years, as part of the Criminal Collision Investigation Team.
Following that, she moved to Nova Scotia for three and a half years before returning to B.C., where she spent the last six years as part of traffic services at Port Mann in the Lower Mainland.
Gilhen said she’s glad to be back to the Island.
“I’ve been trying to get back to the Island for 13 years, so I’m just happy to be here,” she said, adding that she wanted a slower-paced experience, such as Sooke.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to, but it turns out that it is busy here,” Gilhen laughed, pointing out that she’s enjoyed living here so far.
Gilhen’s experience in traffic services certainly adds to the local detachment’s overall skillset. As such, her specialty is in fatal collision investigations, or anything involving a charge for serious injury or fatality.
