There’s a new sheriff in town. Or, to be precise, a new staff sergeant, who is assuming command of the RCMP detachment.
Bob Gollan (no, not that Bob Gollan), arrived to begin his new duties this week. He takes over from Staff Sgt. Gord Stewart, who moves onto an advisory role in Kelowna. A 30-year veteran of Canada’s national police force, Gollan was in charge of the Gleichen, Alta., detachment before coming to Creston.
Creston is his 12th detachment and the first in B.C. He began his RCMP career in Stony Plains, Alta., and his resume includes two postings in the Northwest Territories and three in Saskatchewan.
From 2009-2010, Gollan was part of a United Nations team posted in Kosovo, where he supervised management training for three small police detachments.
“After a while I could understand Albanian, but I couldn’t speak it,” he said. “We had interpreters, but English is taught in the school system, so communication wasn’t too difficult.”
When he started looking for a new opportunity after his time in Gleichen, Gollan and his wife, Mary, decided southern B.C. would be desirable.
“I was looking for something different, but I didn’t consider Creston because it wasn’t listed as a detachment headed by a staff sergeant,” he explained. “The I got a call about the opening here and I had four hours to make my decision. My wife has always wanted to live in this area and I’ve always wanted to work in B.C. The decision to move here was an easy one. …
“I have enjoyed every posting I’ve had. I have a strong belief in community involvement. I’ve always been involved in coaching and community organizations. I look forward to doing the same in Creston.”
Parents of two grown children, Gollan and his wife are on their own now. A daughter, 24, is married and living in Vauxhall, Alta. A son, 21, is a world traveller who is currently working in Strathmore, Alta., until his next adventure beckons.
“We’ve already experienced a very warm welcome to Creston,” he said. “The people are very friendly. And I’m very impressed with this detachment. Gord (Stewart) and his team have obviously worked hard to work with the community and I plan to take the same approach.”