The City of Estevan has found its new top cop.
Mayor Roy Ludwig announced at Monday night's regular meeting of council that Paul Ladouceur of Brockville, Ont., has been hired to replace the retiring Del Block. Ladouceur is currently a Detective Sergeant with the Brockville Police Service and will begin work in Estevan on April 14.
Ludwig said Ladouceur immediately stood out among the lengthy list of candidates, and they are excited for his arrival in the city.
"(We interviewed many individuals over Skype) and his interview went very well," Ludwig said. "He was quick to answer any of our questions, he had already done research on the community, he took the time to do that. We just had a good rapport right off the get go with Paul. We warmed up very quickly towards him."
In an interview Tuesday, Ladouceur said he and his family, which includes his wife and three children, are also looking forward to moving to Saskatchewan.
"I'm currently with a service of a similar size to Estevan's police service and being in Brockville, we also border the U.S.," Ladouceur said. "I was born and raised in a small community, so this is keeping in line with what I know, and it is a great opportunity for me to have that top job that I've always desired."
Ladouceur said he is a big believer in community involvement in his personal life and that philosophy carries over to his career.
"We've gone full circle in policing. Years ago we saw the beat cop on the street and you saw the police in their cruisers and kids were very respectful of the police. They would often go up and talk to the police officers on the street and we kind of lost that connection along the way," he said. "Here we are now trying to get back to where we started from, and I am a firm believer and supporter of that.
"What inspired me to be a police officer was where I grew up there was a police officer that would run radar on our street. I'd be out with my friends tossing around the football, and every day that officer was there he would toss that football with us and he'd talk to us about kid things and how to stay out of trouble. That really stuck with me and was one of the main reasons why I chose this profession, because I had a lot of respect for the police."
Ladouceur comes to Estevan with a lengthy and varied career in policing. He started with the London, Ont. Police Service and worked in the uniform division and in media relations. He was also a flight officer with the helicopter unit. In Brockville he has investigated a number of major cases including homicides. He was also the supervisor of the emergency response team and led the drug and intelligence unit.
Ladouceur said that breadth of experience should serve him well in a growing community such as Estevan, which has experienced a spike in criminal activity in recent years.
"I've talked to a lot of people in the community there and some of the common themes from a lot of the people is impaired driving and drugs, and they are going to be a focal point," he said.
"My main mission once I get there is to get to know the members and get to know the organization. There won't be any rapid change upon my arrival because I am a firm believer in getting to know the lay of the land before I make any decisions."
Ladouceur said early on in the application process he did extensive research into Estevan and the EPS. That included speaking with Block, who gave him a glowing recommendation of the department's officers and staff.
"He spoke so highly of the officers there. I think I am going to an organization that has a lot of very well-trained officers, so I am looking forward to working with those members, and I think it is going to be a great experience for both me and my family."
While announcing their new hire, Ludwig also took time to recognize Block who retired after an impressive 38-year career.
"Del set a high bar," Ludwig said. "He did a good job, got along well with the officers, we had no major incidents. He just did a stellar job for us."
