A former police chief for South Simcoe is the new chair of the fledgling Haliburton County Police Detachment Board.
Andrew Fletcher was elected at the inaugural meeting in November.
A community representative, along with Andy Chvedukas, he joins provincial appointee Andrew Hodgson, Algonquin Highlands mayor Liz Danielsen, Dysart et al deputy mayor Walt McKechnie, Highlands East mayor Dave Burton, and Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter on the board.
It was created as part of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, which came into effect April 1, 2024. The legislation has replaced the Police Services Act, to focus on addressing community safety; enhancing police oversight; modernizing policing, and establishing consistent mandated training requirements.
Fletcher said he started as a cadet in Halton Region and worked his way up to deputy chief during 31 years there. Looking for a top role, he joined South Simcoe for seven years before retiring two-and-a-half years ago.
The Bob Lake full-time resident saw an ad in the paper looking for board community representatives. His family has had a cottage on the lake for 15 years, coming weekends and summers. He got to know people in the community, and a handle on what was going on.
“I said I was going to be retired, was going to be quiet, and then a few people started calling me, saying, ‘have you considered this? This is right up your alley. What do you think’?”
He elaborates that when he first called quits to his working life, the best advice he received was to not do anything for the first year.
“Don’t commit… take your time. I did that. But I’m typically a person who likes to be busy and doing things. I started getting involved in the curling club and the food bank. When this came up, I debated; am I really a community representative? Do I know enough about the community? Have I been here long enough? I felt I had a pretty good grasp on some of the things going on, but I was really looking to bring that organizational experience.”
Fletcher was involved in subcommittees writing the new Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019. He said he cares deeply about crime prevention and the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan.
“I am passionate about the fact that policing is more than just enforcement. I hate the words ‘law enforcers’ because our new generation of policing is about engaging with the community; looking at the well-being of the community; inspiring young people to get involved in policing; and giving youth guidance when they need that through youth diversion. It’s not all about putting people in jail.”
He brings valuable policing experience to the board.
“Not just as a chief of police but an understanding of CSWB, and what the role of the board is. For the last 17 years, I sat on the other side of the table (as chief and deputy chief) and listened to boards and how they engage with commanders and chiefs.”
He added it is also about better connecting the OPP to the community via the board.
“People are already talking to me. They see me at the curling club and say, ‘I see you’re the board chair, what about this, and what about that’?”
As for his views on the board’s role, Fletcher added, “we’re the people to ask the questions. When we are engaging with the commander and he brings reports, for example, that theft of gas is up 100 per cent, we can say ‘what about that? What are you doing about that?
“When we start seeing the mental health statistics, we can ask, ‘what more can we be doing’? The commander, many times, has already thought about it, but it’s about bringing whatever the priorities of the board are to their (OPP) attention.”
He said OPP billing is always topical but the board can request a breakdown of costs. “Not to hold their (OPP) feet to the fire, but just that accountability piece and saying ‘okay, let us ask those questions that the public might be asking’.”
He noted the board does evaluate commanders. “It gives us a chance to say to him or her, ‘this is what’s important to us’ – and many times we are aligned. They’ve already addressed it, but, if not… our job is to make sure there’s a broad spectrum of strategies.”
At the end of the day, he said he is just trying to make a difference.
“Let’s make sure the community is getting the best bang for their buck, and if not, let’s change that, introduce something different, or have a conversation to see if we can drive it in that direction.”
