New Westminster will be making its presence felt in the new Surrey Police Service.
Insp. Todd Matsumoto, a 29-year veteran of the New Westminster Police Department, is joining the new Surrey Police Service as one of its deputy chief constables. Surrey is moving to replace the RCMP with a new municipal police force.
Since joining the NWPD in 1992, Matsumoto has worked in a variety of positions in the department, including patrol, the street crime unit (where he was assigned to plainclothes work and uniformed bike patrols) and the major crime unit as a detective. Other roles included conducting Police Act investigations for the NWPD and for external police agencies when he was assigned to the Professional Standards Unit.
New Westminster Chief Const. Dave Jansen said Matsumoto has played a big part in shaping the NWPD into what it is today.
“He is a really, really great guy. Just a down-to-earth, hardworking and awesome person, who is also a really great leader and manager for our department; one of those guys that whenever there was a tough project or a tough assignment, we feel comfortable giving it to Todd,” Jansen told the Record. “It’s going to be hard losing him, but I am so, so happy for him. I think it’s kind of a neat opportunity to go build a police department.”
Matsumoto, whose last day on the job is March 12, wrapped up his career at the New Westminster Police Department as the inspector in charge of the administration division.
Jansen said police officers are trained how to investigate cases – not how to necessarily deal with things such as WorkSafeBC claims and information technology.
“He has just really, really excelled on it. I don’t know what their plans are in Surrey for him, but I would imagine he would bring something very unique to them being a municipal police officer that understands all those areas that, again, isn’t a normal thing,” he said. “He has really brought our organization to a different level when it comes to how we deal with accommodations and how we deal with our folks that get injured or are off with mental health injuries – those types of things that are very challenging and very different than the stuff we normally handle.”
Surrey bound
Matsumoto isn’t the only police officer affiliated with the NWPD who is heading to the Surrey Police Service as part of its executive team.
Former NWPD constable Jennifer Hyland was previously named one of the Surrey’s deputy chiefs. Hyland started her policing career with the local police department in 1998, where she remained until she transferred to the RCMP in 2001, working with the Surrey and Ridge-Meadows detachments.
“As much as you hate to lose folks, there is a little bit of pride as an organization. I think we do a pretty good job,” Jansen said. “To have these members leave here and go on to other places … I think it shows you that even though we are small, people are able to refine their skills and become great at their profession.”
Surrey Police Service, which is not yet in operation, is assembling its senior management team and is expected to begin recruiting officers in 2021.
Jansen said it remains to be seen what impact the new policing agency will have on the New Westminster Police Department. He said police chiefs have been preparing for the potential impact of members who may apply for jobs at the Surrey Police Service.
“I don’t want to lose anyone, but I also recognize that things happen in different careers, different lives, like everybody. Sometimes, whether it is a shorter commute or a different opportunity or maybe wanting to go to a bigger department, who knows?” he said. “We are trying to plan for it and look at what we can do to build a little bit of capacity here just in case we start to lose people and also just make this the best place we can so people don’t want to leave.”
Jansen, who took on the role of chief constable in June 2020, began his policing career with the New Westminster Police Department in 1990.
“I think the reason that a lot of people come to New West is that you have an opportunity to work in a department where you know everybody, you know everyone’s names and you get to know their families,” he said. “You stay here for 30 years of your career. But we are also not super slow. It is a busy community. You get to refine your profession and get good at different areas.”
Jansen noted New West police officers can also take secondments to work in bigger units such as the integrated homicide investigation team.
So, though Jansen said he's keeping an eye on the Surrey situation, he's primarily focused on his own department.
“Really, I am more focused on here and just what we can do to make this a great place and building up our capacity the best we can and making sure that when folks leave – it’s going to happen – that we are able to as seamlessly as possible continue our business continuity here,” he said.
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