Image Credit: CKPG Today

By Greg Fry / CKPG Today

Quesnel RCMP

From forestry to policing: RCMP announce new detachment commander in Quesnel

Jul 5, 2022 | 2:12 PM

QUESNEL, B.C. — Staff Sgt. Richard Weseen has been named the new detachment commander for the Quesnel RCMP.

He replaces Staff Sgt. Darren Dodge, who was recently promoted as the Officer in Charge of the Williams Lake RCMP. Weseen had most recently been in charge of operations at the detachment.

Weseen is no stranger to the Cariboo – he moved to Williams Lake with his family when he was two-years-old. When he graduated from high school in Williams Lake he first found work at Weldwood’s plywood plant (now West Fraser). Then in 1992, he moved to Hinton, Alberta and spent another decade working for Weldwood in a sawmill and a pulp mill.

But after 15 years in forestry, he changed occupations and became a police officer, joining the RCMP in 2003 in Sherwood Park, Alberta. While there, he spent over two years in front line policing and another three years in the Municipal Drug Unit.

In 2008 he transferred to Edmonton and worked in various units where he specialized in drug and gang enforcement. Five years later, he was promoted to the rank of corporal and transferred back to Sherwood Park where he was eventually promoted to Sergeant.

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By 2016 Weseen was transferred to Alberta’s Serious Incident Response Team – Alberta’s police watchdog. While there, he investigated police shootings, excessive force allegations, breach of trust, and anti-corruption investigations.

He returned to B.C. in 2019 where he was placed in charge of the Quesnel detachment’s plain clothes unit and in 2020 assumed the role of operation NCO, overseeing the detachment’s frontline policing and Crime Reduction Unit.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, fishing, and camping with his family.

“Staff Sgt. Weseen has provided solid leadership in his previous roles within the Quesnel detachment and brings an extensive policing background to this new role,” said North District RCMP District Officer, Chief Supt. Warren Brown. “His knowledge of the community and the needs of the people of Quesnel will make this an easy transition – we look forward to the leadership he will provide to the detachment and to the people of Quesnel.”