After a months-long search that stretched across the country, Port Moody found its next police chief already in the building.
Deputy Chief Const. Chris Rattenbury takes over the top job, effective immediately, as chief constable - the first in-house hire in a number of years.
"This is a very significant and important day for all of us at the city of Port Moody," Mayor Mike Clay said Monday at Rattenbury's swearing-in ceremony. "And hopefully it will prove to be a day we don't have to have again for a number of years in the future."
Rattenbury takes over as chief after Brad Parker announced his plans to retire last October. Parker had held the post for just under five years.
Clay said the "extensive process" of finding the new chief involved a nation-wide search that brought in "a number of great applications" but said, "Everybody knows the best person for this job is already standing in the building."
Rattenbury started his policing career in 1982 with the Vancouver Police Department. He joined the PoMo force in 1990 but left for two years starting in 1995 to teach at the Justice Institute of B.C.
Upon his return in 1997, Rattenbury was promoted to patrol sergeant, followed by posts as administrative sergeant and inspector in charge of operations. He was named deputy chief constable in 2008.
On hand to perform the swearing-in ceremony was B.C. Provincial Court Judge Reg Harris, who was a new recruit with Rattenbury when the two entered police training at the Justice Institute in September 1982.
Harris joked that, at the time, only a few patrol cars had computers, reports were handwritten and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was just five months old. "And back then, Chris had brown hair, and I had hair."
Rattenbury said he'll be focusing on maintaining the public trust and working collaboratively with both police and city staff, adding the new posting as chief is "a real honour and privilege."
He is the first member of the Port Moody Police Department to have been promoted to the position of Chief Constable since Cpl. Len McCabe in 1969, when there were seven sworn members and four civilian members. (McCabe passed away on Friday, shortly before his 88th birthday.)
