Insp. Dyson Smith, a longtime RCMP officer throughout the North and across the country, has been named the new Yellowknife detachment commander.
photo courtesy of the NWT RCMP
The Northwest Territories RCMP provided a statement on Friday afternoon that Smith will replace Insp. Alex Laporte, who moved to a new position in Ottawa last month.
"I want our police force to be close to the people," stated Smith. "I sincerely believe that, as a public service, we are accountable and we must be open to dialogue with our partners and the community.
"We have a strong, dedicated team of employees at the Yellowknife detachment. During my mandate, I will make it a priority to showcase the excellent work that this team does on a daily basis to make our community safe and secure"
According to Friday's news release, Smith has 20 years of experience in many different policing environments across Canada, "including in rural, remote communities, for federal units, municipal units and headquarters."
The release states that he has worked at five divisions including in Alberta, Nunavut, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.
At G Division, Smith has worked for the RCMP's federal drug section.
In 2018, he became officer in charge of the North District, overseeing 11 detachments and 13 communities. He also managed the G Division Relief Section.
Insp. Smith is originally from Nova Scotia. He has a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, majoring in sociology with a minor in criminology.
He and his wife Nichole have three children.