June 30, 2015
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Community safety is the focus for new South Bruce OPP detachment commander, inspector Dana Earley.
Meeting with local media Tuesday morning, Earley said the police can't be everywhere so community engagement and public safety are very important.
"A safe community is everyone's responsibility," she said. "My goal is community mobilization, getting people involved in making their community safer. Right now, three of the five municipalities in the South Bruce OPP jurisdiction have Safe Community Committees - only South Bruce and Huron-Kinloss do not."
Another priority, she said, is the decriminalization of mental health concerns. "These are health issues, and don't necessarily require a police call."
She said the OPP has access to the Canadian Mental Health Association's Urgent Response Team, 24/7, which is a great resource.
As for domestic violence, Earley said the police work closely with the women's shelter and other resources on these cases. However, she would like to have more officers visiting the schools and talking to youth about healthy relationships, as a preventative measure.
She also wants to encourage the public to access the 211 information line, rather than always calling the police.
"This is a great resource that is not utilized enough," she said. "The OPP officers have 211 resource cards that we use as referrals to victims of crime. And if we have a victim's permission, we can make the referrals ourselves."
The first full-time female inspector at the South Bruce OPP, Earley lives in Huron County, just north of Goderich, and has been with the South Bruce detachment for almost three years.
She grew up in Chatham and served with the Essex detachment for five years before taking a duration posting in Marathon for five years. She then returned to West Region, serving with the Huron County OPP where she was promoted to sergeant. In October, 2012, she came to South Bruce where she became staff-sergeant.
Former inspector Scott Smith retired in August, 2014, and there have been a number of interim detachment commanders over the past 10 months.
Earley was a finalist in the short-list to become detachment commander. She was interviewed by a panel of superintendents and the police service boards from Kincardine and Brockton.
"I was successful through that process and am honoured to be given the responsibility of detachment commander with the South Bruce OPP," said Earley who took over June 15.
She likes Kincardine and plans to stay here "as long as they want me." She said the officers are a great group and it's a wonderful community. "We all have the same goal: a safe and healthy community."
South Bruce OPP constable Kevin Martin (R), community services officer, welcomes new detachment commander Dana Earley
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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