Metro Vancouver police agencies usher in senior staff changes

 

The Vancouver Police Department announced the appointment of two new deputy chiefs and a superintendent Tuesday.

 

Chief Jim Chu introduced just promoted Deputy Chiefs Warren Lemcke and Adam Palmer. Chu said Lemcke will head the investigation division, which includes major crime, gangs and drugs, forensic services and criminal intelligence.

 

Palmer will head the support services division and new Supt. Daryl Wiebe will be in charge of information services.

 

Chu also thanked the two retiring deputy chiefs - Bob Rolls and Steve Sweeney.

 

"Bob did a lot to improve VPD facilities and he also skilfully managed the overall VPD budget and helped deliver five straight years of a surplus position," Chu said. "Steve was our lead on our 2010 Olympic Games preparation and deployment. He also greatly enhanced the VPD Public Order Command program and the Crowd Control Unit which proved to be valuable assets for the Olympic Games."

 

Asked why there were no women deputy chiefs, Chu said he expected in time there would be more diversity in the second-in-command positions. He said he made the final decision on the new appointments, but that police board members helped with the hiring process, which involved internal applicants only.

 

There are also new people at the top of both the Gang Task Force and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team — police agencies that combine RCMP and municipal forces.

 

RCMP Supt. Dan Malo, who had headed the Gang Task Force, is now in charge of IHIT. Taking over from Malo at the task force is Vancouver Police Supt. Tom McCluskie.

 

And former IHIT officer-in-charge John Robin has been put in charge of the Surrey Six murder investigation and prosecution, in which five people are now before the courts on a range of charges from break and enter to first-degree murder.

 

The case is the biggest gangland murder prosecution in B.C. history and is expected to take years.

 

IHIT spokesman, Cpl. Dale Carr, said Malo took up his new position last week.

 

"Supt. John Robin is now completely and solely in charge of E-Peseta," he said of the Surrey Six investigation. "That is an extensive project and it is on-going."

 

kbolan@vancouversun.com

 

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