The Sarnia Police Services Board is promoting two inspectors. Norm Hansen (left) will become chief and Owen Lockhart (right) will become deputy chief. February 2, 2018 (Photo by Melanie Irwin)The Sarnia Police Services Board is promoting two inspectors. Norm Hansen (left) will become chief and Owen Lockhart (right) will become deputy chief. February 2, 2018 (Photo by Melanie Irwin)
Sarnia

Sarnia Police Service Promotes From Within

The Sarnia Police Services Board is promoting two inspectors from within to become the city's new police chief and deputy chief.

Norm Hansen will take over for Chief Phil Nelson when he retires June 1.

Hansen started his career with the Sarnia Police Service in 1985 and has progressed through the ranks as constable, sergeant, staff sergeant and inspector.

"I really want to be able to carry this service forward," Hansen said at Friday's announcement. "Change is coming so quickly in policing, the province and the new mandates for the Police Services Act for accountability. I think that I'm somebody that's able to adjust to that and I really want to continue that."

Hansen holds an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Windsor and is a Certified Municipal Manager Police Executive.

"The biggest change in my career, and it's still developing, is that when I was hired, I was hired by the Sarnia Police Force. It's now the Sarnia Police Service and that's what the public expects, compared to what they expected 30 years ago. They expect a service and that's what were going to do. We serve the public. We serve the city. We serve the board. Our officers need to continue that."

Owen Lockhart joins Hansen at the helm, taking over the position of deputy chief when Bob Farlow retires May 22.

He's also served the service through various capacities.

"I started with the Sarnia Police Service in 1990, after graduating from the University of Guelph," Lockhart said. "I started in the general patrol division which is now the community response division, and was one of the original members of our ERT [Emergency Response] Team when it started up in 1994."

Lockhart's current role is the inspector in charge of the Support Services Division.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Sociology from the University of Guelph.

Police services board chair Mayor Mike Bradley says they developed their own inclusive hiring process, unique in Ontario, that included input from the Sarnia Police Association and Aamjiwnaang Chief Joanne Rogers.

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