Kimberley RCMP has welcomed in Sgt. Steve Woodcox as its new NCO following the retirement of Chris Newel earlier in November.
Kimberley RCMP said Woodcox, a 21-year police veteran, started in his new position on Monday.
“The Kootenays has always been an area my wife and I have wanted to live in. We used to live in the Okanagan, and that was getting to the point of being pretty busy in the Kelowna area,” said Woodcox. “We always liked the smaller towns and it’s a beautiful area here. When an opportunity came to move out here, we jumped at it.”
Despite his short time with the Kimberley RCMP, Woodcox said he has seen a strong relationship between the community and the police.
“It goes to show the work that the members and Sgt. Newel have done before I arrived here. I’m very complimentary of the work they’ve done and the relationship with the people here seems very positive,” explained Woodcox. “You can drive down the road and people wave to the police. Even the people that I’ve spoken to, they seem very supportive of the police.”
Woodcox said he is originally from Nova Scotia, and moved around a lot when he was young, as his father was in the armed forces.
Upon joining the police in 1999, Woodcox served across B.C. before coming to Kimberley.
“I have 15 years in the Kelowna and West Kelowna area, then I have nearly seven years I’ve spent in isolated posts in northern B.C., including places like Tacla Landing, Dease Lake and the Atlin detachment,” explained Woodcox.
The new NCO first moved to the community just a few weeks before he officially stepped into the role this week.
More: Kimberley RCMP Sgt. Chris Newel retires following 30-year career (Nov 4, 2020)