Abbotsford’s new incoming police chief has spent his entire life residing and working in Victoria but says he is looking forward to this next step in his career.
“I’m hoping that I can continue to build on all the successes of the police chiefs before me and the tremendous work of the Abbotsford Police Department,” said Colin Watson.
“I’m excited for the future and I’m really excited to work with everyone in Abbotsford.”
Watson leaves his position as deputy chief with the Victoria Police Department (VPD) to take over from retiring Abbotsford Police Chief Mike Serr on Nov. 2.
Watson, 50, brings 26 years of experience to the job. He said policing has been in his blood from a young age.
He first stepped through the doors of the VPD at age 13 to join their cadet program.
After later completing his police training, Watson started out as a patrol officer. Over the years, he has served in various sections, including traffic enforcement and collision investigation, the emergency response team, and the operational planning section.
The latter role involved security planning for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay that preceded the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Watson also served in more behind-the-scenes roles, including as a policy analyst and in human resources, and has completed master’s degrees in law and in public administration.
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He said he enjoyed front-line policing in that he was able to work directly with people in the community – despite the “tremendous amount of hard days” – and make a positive contribution.
“I found that really rewarding and, in a lot of ways, I think that’s why people join policing,” he said.
“But there’s a whole equally important part of policing – focusing a little more inwardly when you’re starting to get into leadership positions in the organization and the complexities of running a modern police agency in 2023.”
He said this range of experience contributes to him feeling “well-prepared and ready to take the next step” with the Abbotsford Police Department (APD).
Watson said he and his wife Lesley, a retired police officer, often considered the Fraser Valley as a place they would like to settle after policing. (The two have a 21-year-old daughter.)
Abbotsford was among their considerations because of its easy access to Vancouver, the US and the rest of the province, and its abundance of natural amenities, including trails.
When the job posting came up with the APD, Watson didn’t need much convincing to apply.
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“Abbotsford is an area that seems to be growing so much. There seems to be so much pride in the community. It seems to me that it’s a gateway to a lot of different opportunities both in policing and also personally,” he said.
Watson said there are some policing issues that are specific to Victoria – mainly due to it being the province’s capital and home of the legislature (which can draw large protests) and a tourist destination.
He said, conversely, Abbotsford is much larger geographically – the province’s biggest city by size – and has a bigger mix of urban and rural areas, with the the Trans-Canada Highway running through it.
But he said he was surprised to discover how many challenges the two cities share, such as homelessness, mental-health issues, and the drug-overdose epidemic.
Watson said tackling these issues requires a partnership among police, the city, government social-service providers and not-for-profit agencies on “how to make those incremental improvements that are going to make a difference in the long run.”
He said one thing that has changed in his years of policing is the role that health and mental health plays in behaviours “that would otherwise be classified as criminal law.”
“I think we have a much deeper appreciation for some of the root causes of crime now, and our front-line folks are spending so much more time working with these complexities and trying to find the best path forward for someone that they come into contact with,” Watson said.
He said his first priority as the new police chief in Abbotsford will be getting to know the community and its stakeholders.
“My plan is to do a lot of listening, a lot of watching and really learning about where we are now: What are some of the challenges being faced by the Abbotsford Police Department and in the community that may not be as obvious to me as yet?” Watson said.
He said exiting from the VPD will be bittersweet, as he leaves behind “tremendous people and tremendous leadership.” But he is satisfied with the job he did there.
“I leave my career in Victoria knowing that I worked hard,” he said.
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