Building strong relationships between the RCMP and the communities they serve is a top priority for the new commander of the RCMP's North District.
On Wednesday, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson appointed Chief Supt. Rod Booth as commander of North District. Booth has served as the assistant district commander for two years, and has been doing the job on an interim basis since former Chief Supt. Barry Clark retired from the position in August.
"I'm very strong on all of our detachment commanders being 100 per cent engaged in our communities," Booth said. "People first. That is the key to it. It doesn't come easily, you always have to be on top of building those
relationships."
North District provides unique challenges because it encompasses 37 detachments across the northern 73 per cent of the
province, he said.
Booth said he's confident that the RCMP are held in high regard in the North.
"[But] that is not to say we don't have issues," he said. "We are an extremely large organization. Our complexity is our greatest strength, but it's also our greatest weakness."
Booth said he wants to support local detachment commanders to address local issues.
One of those issues is the issue of organized crime and marijuana grow operations in the North, he said.
"We have to be innovative," he said. "Every police commander in the world would say they need more officers."
Units such as the NDIME drug task force allow the RCMP to use their existing resources smarter, he said.
Booth has been a member of the RCMP since 1981. His career has taken him to the Lower Mainland, Yukon and Gulf Islands as a general duty officer, emergency response team member and
major crimes investigator.
In 2004 he transferred to Ottawa where he served as the officer in charge of the operational policy section of the RCMP. In 2006 he was appointed executive officer to the RCMP commissioner.
He was seconded to the prime minister's Privy Council Office to work on preparations the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Following the Olympics, Booth came to North District as the
assistant district commander.
He's been happily married for 25 years and has two adult
children.
"I do want to recognize the support my family has given me all these years," Booth said.
"My first priority is family."
