Sooke will soon have a new top cop.
The RCMP have announced that Sgt. Brett Sinden will replace Jeff McArthur as the Sooke RCMP detachment’s commander.
Sinden arrives here in September.
Sinden comes to Sooke from Sidney where he was appointed as operations commander in 2017.
But Sooke’s new detachment commander’s experience transcends his time in Sidney.
His 16-year policing career started in Langley where he moved on to a role with the provincial unsolved homicide unit.
Sinden later became the watch commander in Port Hardy and detachment commander at Alert Bay, B.C.
“Moving from position to position is really a part of a career with the RCMP,” Sinden said.
“But every community and every posting is different and the experiences combine to make you more and more prepared to take on the next challenge.”
Sinden said he’ll use the month before his formal transfer to learn about Sooke and the community’s needs.
“I’m very fortunate to be coming in after Jeff (McArthur). He did a great job out there, and I know I have big boots to fill,” Sinden said.
He noted the Sooke detachment has some “very busy members” and the detachment’s large jurisdictional footprint will continue to present challenges, but he’s confident that his officers are more than equal to the task.
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In the past, McArthur lobbied Sooke council for an increase in the number of officers.
But Sinden is not prepared to commit to that or any other particular priority in Sooke.
“I’m really not there yet. It’s going to take some time to know where we’re at in Sooke and when I’ve gotten to that point, we’ll be looking at setting some priorities and plans. It would be premature to assume that I could do that now before I’ve even come to the community,” he said.
Mayor Maja Tait has met Sinden briefly when he was touring the community with McArthur and said that she is looking forward to welcoming him to Sooke.
“Council is, of course, sorry to see Jeff McArthur go, but I know that Brett Sinden was carefully vetted for the position and I’m confident that he’ll do a great job for our community.
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