The first South Asian female member of the New Westminster Police Department is rising up the ranks – and taking over from the first female to ever become an inspector in the NWPD.
Insp. Diana McDaniel, who joined the NWPD in 1997 and made history in 2020 by becoming the first female officer to rise to the rank of inspector in the department, is retiring in June. She currently oversees the prevention services section, where she’s taken on a wide range of tasks.
“To say that Diana has been a huge impact to our management team, to the city, to the work that has been done, both within the police department and within the city would be an understatement,” Chief Const. Dave Jansen told the police board on May 17.
Jansen said the position was created for McDaniel so there was no blueprint for the job, but she brought enthusiasm, care and compassion to the role. He said she took on some huge projects, including writing the NWPD’s response to report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, convincing the police department to create the vulnerable person liaison officer positions and leading outreach work, including working with the city to address issues occurring in the downtown and other areas of the city.
“Honestly, I could go on and on and on,” he said. “I can honestly tell you that without her on our team I don’t think we would have been able to produce what we have produced over the last couple of years. I am extremely sad to see her go but she very much deserves it.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote, chair of the police board, wished McDaniel well on her next adventure and congratulated her on her work with the NWPD.
“I can think of some of the toughest files and some of the most difficult issues we have had to deal with over the last several years, and you have really played an important leadership role on all of them,” he said. “Obviously we are really going to miss you at the department and the leadership role that you have played here. On behalf of the New West police board I want to congratulate you on an incredible and really meaningful and accomplished career at the New West police department.”
At the May police board meeting, Jansen announced the NWPD had conducted a competition within the organization to fill a couple of vacancies and identify the future leaders who will be moving into management positions.
Effective June 5, Insp. Aman Gosal will be taking over for McDaniel in prevention services.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to take on this role, and to continue to build on the strong community policing model we deliver,” she said in a statement to the Record. “As a longtime resident of this city, I know this incredible community and their desire to work with us on improving public safety.”
Jansen said Gosal is not only a longtime New West resident but an “incredible officer” within the police department.
“She has worked in many, many different areas from secondments with riot investigation team that came out of the Vancouver riots. She worked at CFSEU (combined forces special enforcement unit). She spent some time in our professional standards unit as an investigator,” he told the police board. “She has got quite an extensive background on the major crimes side of things; currently she is running our major crimes section.”
Gosal joined the NWPD in 2004, becoming the first female South Asian officer within the police department.
“We all know it is big shoes to fill, but I also think Aman brings the skill set and the experience,” Jansen said. “Also, for me, it’s really kind of cool to see that Aman lives here in the community, she has a young daughter who lives here in the community and goes to school here. So, I think Aman also brings that knowledge of the city and the community.”
Other staffing changes
Insp. Chris Mullin recently returned from a stint with the CFSEU and joined the NWPD inspector ranks, but he’s once again taking on a different assignment starting June 5.
“In an ongoing partnership and kind of an opportunity to build careers, we have partnered with Transit Police. Chris has now been seconded over to Transit Police to run the integrated professional standards unit, which, as the board will know, is an integration to deal with police active investigations. It is ourselves, Delta, Transit (Police), Port Moody and West Vancouver,” Jansen said. “Chris will be overseeing that, along with some other tasks that Transit Police is going to put him to work on.”
Staff Sgt. Eamonn Ward has been promoted to inspector, and will be joining the NWPD’s senior management team on June 5.
Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus
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