NEW TOP COP AT RCMP

For just the second time in his 27 years as a member of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police Staff Sergeant Mike Martel has taken a
posting outside of Manitoba. He is the new Whitecourt Detachment
Commander and has been on the job here since April 3.

Martel, 52, was able to make his move to Alberta because of a change
in the promotion structure within the RCMP. Mounties stationed in
any of the Prairie Provinces can compete for promotions in those
provinces, which make up what is known as the Northwest Region.

"I've always been interested in working in Alberta," said Martel.
"It's a bigger province, there are bigger challenges. I like challenges."

Martel's last posting was in the tiny northern Manitoba community of
Leaf Rapids, which is about 200 kilometres north of Thompson. There
he had seven people in his command. Here in Whitecourt he has about
20 and that has been one of the challenges, however he says the
staff here are very professional. And even though there hasn't been
a full time detachment commander for several months here, Martel
says everything was in good shape when he arrived.

"I'm very happy so far with the staff that I have. Of course there
are certain avenues that, over time I may be changing but overall
things are very good."

The experience that he has gained over his almost three decades as a
police officer is what Martel feels is his best asset in his new
position here. With it he'll be able mentor the younger officers
under his command to become better at what they do professionally
and in turn better members of the community they serve.

In the research Martel did on Whitecourt before arriving here he
found out what everyone here already knows -- Whitecourt has a young
population (the average age is 29 years) and the economy is booming.
"Things happen when people are making money, crime rises a bit."

Among the policing issues that Martel sees as a priority is staying
on top of the illegal drug trade -- something he says is becoming an
increasingly mounting problem for most communities across the
country. "I think that we are doing a good job here, but can we do
better? I would imagine we could probably do better."

One of the keys to reducing illegal drug traffic, according to
Martel, is the same thing that can be used in combating any criminal
activity -- community cooperation and support of police initiatives.

"The days where police are there to solve everything are gone," he
says. "We don't have magic wands, so we need the support of the
(mayor and councillors) and we need the support of the public. We
can't be everywhere 24 hours a day, it's impossible. The support of
the community is very important."

To foster and maintain the support of the community, Martel
encourages his officers to become involved in the community. He says
this allows the public to see the other side of a police officer --
to see them as a friend and neighbor, not just a person in a uniform.

Since his arrival in Whitecourt, Martel has met with Mayor Trevor
Thain and council to establish policing priorities for the
community. The top priorities are the aforementioned drug trade, as
well as traffic flow on Highway 43 and vandalism.

"To me I think the drug issue would be the highest priority. I think
it's important to deal with it, (because) drugs, right now, affect
everybody, especially young people. They are volatile, they are
naive. We have seen so many shows on television about crystal meth
and cocaine, it devastates a person -- it kills people. So I think
we need to get the message out a little more. We need to educate our
young people to show them that this is not a good thing."

Martel has moved here with his wife, Diane. He also has two adult
children, Kyle, 22, and Kevin, 19.