Today, Assistant Commissioner Peter Clark, Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Newfoundland and Labrador, announced the appointment of Chief Superintendent Garrett Woolsey as the Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations for the Provincial Police Service.
"I am very pleased to announce the arrival of Chief Superintendent Woolsey to Newfoundland and Labrador. As the Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations for the Provincial Police Service, he holds a pivotal leadership position," said Assistant Commissioner Clark. "Chief Superintendent Woolsey will guide policing operations which impact the safety and security of communities policed by the RCMP. He brings an impressive record of credentials, including community engagement skills, which will support the RCMP and communities as we continue to work together across our province."
The Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations for the Provincial Police Service is a direct report to the Commanding Officer. Chief Superintendent Woolsey's appointment became effective April 10, 2018. Chief Superintendent Woolsey replaces Chief Superintendent Stephanie Sachsse, who has been promotionally transferred to Alberta.
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BIOGRAPHY: CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT GARRETT WOOLSEY
Chief Superintendent Garrett Woolsey joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1988 from Spruce Grove, Alberta. He began his RCMP career in British Columbia, with postings in Vernon, New Hazelton, Duncan, Merritt, Kelowna and Nanaimo. In addition to honing his skills in general duty policing, major crimes and homicide, Chief Superintendent Woolsey developed a special interest in the areas of youth addictions and mental health, serving on the board of directors of a number of non-profit youth addiction and housing agencies.
In 2009 he was commissioned to the rank of Inspector and returned to Alberta as the officer in charge of Major Crime investigations in Southern Alberta. Over the ensuing eight years he worked closely with communities and partner agencies in the areas of organized crime, economic crime and district policing operations. Following the 2014 terror attacks in Quebec and Parliament Hill, Chief Superintendent Woolsey was seconded to lead national security operations and outreach in the Calgary area, subsequently leading the "K" Division Integrated National Security Enforcement Team as the Acting Officer in Charge.
In 2016 Chief Superintendent Woolsey was promoted to Superintendent as the Assistant District Commander of the 37 detachments in Southern Alberta. In this role he led the development and implementation of crime reduction strategies, established a crime reduction team and promoted enhanced rural crime watch programs in the district.
A public order and critical incident specialist, Chief Superintendent Woolsey has received advanced training at the Justice Institute of BC, Canadian Police College and in the United Kingdom. He has commanded RCMP operations in several high profile incidents, including the mass protests at G-20 Toronto, 2008 Southern Alberta floods, and the Slave Lake and Fort McMurray wildfires.
Chief Superintendent Woolsey led the development of the major case management team commander qualification program in Alberta, and holds team commander accreditation in that province as well as British Columbia. He is currently a director with the Association of Canadian Critical Incident Commanders.
Chief Superintendent Woolsey spent a portion of his youth in Newfoundland and Labrador, as his father worked in the oil industry and supervised some of the earliest offshore drilling operations off the Grand Banks in 1973-74. Serving in Newfoundland and Labrador has always been a goal, and Chief Superintendent Woolsey and his wife are thrilled to join 'B' Division. He and his wife Karen have three adult children. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, and has completed additional post-secondary and management training at the University of Alberta, as well as the University of Calgary and Athabasca University.