RCMP Supt. Sean Maloney of Gander, Newfoundland is enthusiastic about taking over as officer-in-charge of Coquitlam RCMP – the third largest RCMP detachment in Metro Vancouver and one of the largest municipal police detachments in Canada.
Staffed by 225 Mounties and more than 100 municipal employees, the detachment serves more than 200,000 residents in Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and the Kwekwitlem First Nation.
Maloney was born and raised in Gander. After completing high school, he moved to St. John’s to enroll in an electronics and electrical engineering technology program at what was then the Fisheries College.
In his third year of the program he learned that his application with the RCMP had been successful. It was an opportunity he wasn’t about to pass up.
“I never vocalized that I wanted to go into policing but I felt it was something I’d be cut out for. Then, I got this phone call that I was accepted. I had to go right away because the troop was starting up in a week. I decided that yes, this is my dream of a lifetime. I want to do this.”
{Diverse policing career}
Maloney, who began his new job April 28, joined the RCMP in December 1981. His first posting was to Trail, British Columbia. That’s where he met his wife Janet .
He moved up the ranks over the years, serving in various communities across British Columbia.
Maloney has held a diverse range of operational, administrative and executive roles, including 11 years of Emergency Response Team experience and five years leading British Columbia’s Aboriginal Policing section. Most recently he served as operations officer in Richmond, heading uniformed patrol in one of Canada’s largest municipal RCMP detachments.
Maloney has been recognized with the RCMP’s Long Service Medal, a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and an RCMP Commanding Officer Commendation.
{Changes}
Policing today is very different then when Maloney became an RCMP officer three decades ago.
“This is like two different careers than when I joined. You have to keep abreast of all that’s happening in society. When the train leaves the station you got to get on it. If you choose to stay off of it you’re going to get left behind,” he said, using the analogy to explain the importance of keeping up with technology and crime trends.
The public’s perception of police officers is also vastly different than it was decades ago, he said.
“Accountability is a lot higher now than it used to be, and communication is important now as well.”
When it comes to the economics of policing, knowing where the money is going is also important to elected officials, including the four mayors of the communities that fall under Maloney’s jurisdiction.
{Well-suited}
In an RCMP release announcing Maloney’s appointment earlier this year, Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore said his city was looking forward to working with the new superintendent to continue to enhance the safety of our residents.
“(Superintendent Maloney) brings a breadth of experience and leadership that Port Coquitlam will benefit from, including his community driven and hands-on approach.”
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Steward said Maloney had a successful track record in a similar-sized community, first-hand knowledge of both the public safety opportunities and challenges that come with introducing SkyTrain (rapid transit) service, and hands-on experience in the delivery of effective crime reduction strategies.
“This not only makes (Maloney) especially well-suited to lead the third largest RCMP detachment in Metro Vancouver, but also will allow him to build on the success that has earned our local detachment a 95 per cent approval rating from Coquitlam residents,” Steward said.
Maloney lives in Surrey, British Columbia. He and his wife have a son, also an RCMP officer, two daughters and three grandchildren.
While he has been back to Newfoundland over the years, Maloney’s roots are now firmly planted in British Columbia.
“Your life is what you make it. When I first joined (the RCMP) the first two or three years, you want to go back home. But, when you get married and you start having children and then grandchildren. Well, home is what you make it – and this is home.”
As for his career as a police officer, Maloney has no regrets. “I’d do it all over again,” he said.
dooley@blueline.ca
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