Weyburn's 'new' Police Chief has already been part of the community for more than one year. Chief Marlo Pritchard was sworn in as Chief of Police on February 29, 2012.
Pritchard's 30 plus years of police service has included a broad range of experience, from S.W.A.T., homicide and gang investigation in Regina to peace-keeping in Kosovo. Although he has been responsible for the charge of many, this is his first time wearing the Chief's hat.
"I'm still learning," said Chief Pritchard. "I don't know if I'll ever stop learning, because there are so many dynamics when you're trying to steer the ship, as they say."
Pritchard noted that coming from a larger city, with more resources at his disposal, Weyburn has posed a new set of challenges.
"It's very different dealing with a smaller department," he said. "Basically, we have an investigative area and patrol. You've got to use your resources wisely."
"It's a great learning experience. I thoroughly enjoy working here," he added. "It's a changing community, but it is still a very safe community."
In spite of Weyburn's own police activity being comprised of mostly alcohol-related charges and domestic issues, the Chief stated that no one aspect of police work is less important than another.
"I love policing," he said. "All policing work contributes to the public safety of the community."
He did admit, however, that some crimes do place more pressure on the police than other crimes do - such as in cases where forensic evidence is crucial, or lives are at stake.
"Those first 48 hours have been proven (to be critical)," he said. "You really want to front-end load an investigation, which can become very manpower intense. There is a lot of pressure to get as much information as possible in that short period of time."
Being Chief also involves looking quite far ahead, into the future.
"I am a strong believer that the decisions we make now, if we do it wrong, the real impact will be felt in five or six years," said Pritchard. "So we've got to do it right, because it's an important aspect of community wellness."
"We have a duty - it's not strictly a job. We have a sworn obligation to uphold the law, impartially," he said. "But I think there is also that human aspect we have each developed in our own unique way, that we really want to help people."
Pritchard noted that the downside of police work is that it is very difficult to measure the impact one's work is having on others.
"I can make an arrest, and I can put them before the court, but did I really make a difference? Did I minimize the victimization of someone else? I don't know. But every now and then you get a letter from somebody and you learn you did make a difference. I think that's why the majority of police officers sign up, because they want to make a difference. They want to work with the people of the community to make a difference. I believe that."
Pritchard noted that humour is very important to doing police work.
"Of course, I'm always a believer in having fun when you're doing (police work)," he added. "If you don't like it and you're not having fun, it can be an ugly occupation. We typically don't go to the best places all the time. There are a lot of human suffering aspects that you get exposed to, so you've got to be able to see some of the humour in the interactions of people."
He noted that mutual respect and support are very important aspects of policing.
"It's about public service, community wellness and safety. That's it," he said. "It's just being a part of it."
He added that public safety is a joint effort, which is why he focuses on building strong partnerships with other public agencies, such as social services and mental health services.
"The city and the business community have been supportive of my position and of the Weyburn Police Service. I hear that all the time. It's a great place to work."
