The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has officially named a new Commanding Officer to lead its Quebec division. Assistant Commissioner Martin Roach, 53, will be C Division's 31st Commanding Officer since 1920. He succeeds Assistant Commissioner François Deschênes, who has headed the RCMP in Quebec for the past 11 years.
C Division will benefit from Martin Roach's extensive experience managing policing operations. His various roles have helped him shape a modern vision of our police force, and he will be able to count on committed, dedicated employees, determined to take C Division to the next level on all fronts.
Assistant Commissioner Roach is excited to take on this challenge. Guided by a strong sense of responsibility, he plans to work with all our employees, partners and the community to advance our organizational priorities and initiatives. C Division has a strong tradition of operational excellence, expertise and innovation.
As Commanding Officer, Martin Roach has expressed his commitment to providing exemplary leadership in fulfilling the Federal Policing mission and continuing to make strides nationally and internationally.
A diverse background
Martin Roach is from Quebec's South Shore. With origins from Trinidad and Tobago, he comes from a long line of police officers from father to son. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in criminology and substance abuse from the Université de Montréal, he worked at youth centres for four years before joining the RCMP in 1997. He has over 26 years of policing experience, including as Acting Commanding Officer of C Division and Acting Criminal Operations Officer.
He began his policing career as a patrol officer in British Columbia. He then joined the Prime Minister's Protective Detail in Ottawa. In this role, he was able to travel the world, learn about other cultures and get to know the field of international diplomacy. For nearly ten years, Martin Roach was a training instructor and coordinator. He went on to coordinate international and sensitive investigations with RCMP partners around the world.
In 2015, Martin Roach was promoted to Inspector. Appointed Officer in Charge of the RCMP in Quebec's West District, he was called upon to coordinate the police response to the wave of irregular immigration at Roxham Road. In 2018, Martin Roach was promoted to Superintendent. He has served as Assistant Criminal Operations (CROPS) Officer for Border Integrity and for Organized Crime.
Commanding Officer Roach has been married for 24 years and has two daughters.