Ridge Meadows RCMP’s commander is leaving for the new Surrey Police Service.
Supt. Jennifer Hyland was announced as the first deputy chief constable of the service, and will start in her new position on Jan. 25.
“I am proud to announce the appointment of Jennifer Hyland to the Surrey Police Service as its newest deputy chief constable,” said Chief Const. Norm Lipinski.
His first day on the job was Dec. 14, and Hyland was his first hire.
“To say she is highly regarded is an understatement and I am looking forward to working together to build an exemplary police organization. The community will be well served having Jennifer Hyland as a member of the Surrey Police Service executive team. I am committed to bringing the best of policing to serve the citizens of Surrey,” Lipinski said.
Hyland, a Maple Ridge native, has been a police officer for more than 20 years, beginning with the New Westminster Police in 1998. She moved to the RCMP in 2001, and served at the Ridge Meadows detachment from 2006-2014.
At that time, Hyland went to North Vancouver with a promotion to inspector, then returned to Maple Ridge in 2016 as the officer in charge.
“This is my hometown, and this has been a career highlight for me – to be the chief of police in my hometown,” she said.
Her new challenge will be as part of a team building an 800-member police force from the ground up. Contacted by a recruiter, she said the “amazing opportunity” was too irresistible to pass up.
She will be one of three deputy chiefs, in a huge police organization. So while she will no longer be the officer in charge “the breadth of what I’m looking after is significantly bigger,” she said.
Hyland will oversee the support services bureau, in charge of recruiting, training, leadership and development. Her mission is to build a positive culture in the new police force.
And, Hyland believes she has fostered that culture of respect and support in Ridge Meadows. She said her successor will come into a stable, healthy work environment.
“They will be coming into an amazing community, that is supportive of policing,” she added. “I have felt very embraced by the community.”
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This year she received the 2020 International Association of Women Police award for mentoring and coaching. One of the deciding factors for the award being given to Hyland was a program she designed and implemented – an eight-lesson series focusing on key leadership skills and challenges facing female officers in a predominately male policing environment. The program has been successful in assisting female police officers with their advancement in leadership roles.
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Hyland’s detachment won the RCMP’s first “Innovation in Crime Reduction Award” for its work in social media communications in 2019.
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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