Williams Lake RCMP detachment’s new media relations officer considered a career in journalism before becoming a police officer.
Cpl. Brett Squire said in high school he did work experience with the Nanaimo News Bulletin and enjoyed writing some sport stories, but after graduation, he went to university in Calgary, got into criminology and realized policing interested him.
“The media relations position was vacant at the detachment and journalism and media has always been an interest of mine,” he said. “I am just getting started and am hoping by September we have it up and running with some social media outreach and other things.”
Squire’s first RCMP position was in Kamloops where he did general duty and crime reduction.
From there he was transferred to Tsay Keh Dene, 10 hours north of Mackenzie, with Indigenous policing. After that he went to work on Vancouver Island for six years and then to Regina to teach applied police sciences for two years.
In February 2020, he began working at the Williams Lake RCMP detachment.
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“I worked in Williams Lake during the 2017 wildfires as a member of the tactical team from the island. Other than the fires, I liked the people and the area and everyone was super friendly. It was so positive and I thought this would be a nice region to work in one day. When the job came up as a watch commander I decided to apply.”
Born in Saskatchewan, he lived in various small prairie towns as his father worked as an RCMP officer in different communities. His mom was a teacher.
The family moved to B.C. in the 1980s when his dad was transferred with the RCMP.
“I mostly grew up on Vancouver Island where I went to high school and played junior hockey. This year I’m hoping things will get back to normal and I can start playing hockey again here.”
He and his wife, who is a nurse, have four children, ranging from three to 16 years of age.
When he is not working, he loves spending time with his family and has been helping coach Lacrosse.
“Williams Lake is a super positive community. We thought we’d try a smaller town for the children after living in a couple big cities.”
It has been a tougher transfer because the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were introduced soon after the family arrived, but Squire said they have some great neighbours who showed them around.
“The detachment members are always great about that too,” he added.
Squire enjoys policing.
“Even though I work general duty and a lot of the files are the same, it’s different people and it isn’t super scripted. Parts of it are, but I get to go out and deal with different people and I enjoy that.”
He worked briefly in corrections while he was in university, but it wasn’t for him.
“I like that every day can be different. It can be good and bad, but the variety is what makes it interesting and what has kept is so for 14 years.”
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