Bancroft's OPP Staff Sgt. Tim Spence is now the local detachment's commander.

As detachment commander, Spence will oversee management and deployment of resources for the detachment. He will also work with Bancroft and area communities to identify and collaborate on policing strategies based on their needs.

Spence has helped the Bancroft OPP collaborate with Project Lifesaver, the North Hastings Family Support Team, the Community Safety and Wellbeing Committee and other municipalities and organizations to contribute to a safer community.

“It's good. It's been a lot of work, [but] a lot of positive change has happened over the last year,” said Spence. “I'm looking forward to continuing with the progress we've been making.”

He said as detachment commander he will continue to help identify the needs of the community and collaborating to better it. 

  “[The] big ones [for this community] is family violence, domestic violence [and] assaults. There's an increase in those areas of 30 per cent in the last three years,” said Spence, explaining policing concerns for the area. “That's consistent across the eight municipalities within the Bancroft 0PP. There has been increases across all municipalities. That's something that's a priority for us. Another priority is property crimes and addressing our seasonal break and enters.”

Spence moved to the Bancroft detachment in November 2015. He had been the operations manager at the Lanark County detachment in Perth, the same in Napanee.

In order to become detachment commander, Spence had to fulfill written assignments, make presentations and and was thoroughly interviewed. Many applied for the position and in the end Spence came out in front of two other top candidates.

“He was the right choice,” said Hastings Highlands Deputy Mayor Gregg Roberts, chair of the Bancroft and Area Policing Advisory Committee. “He's going to be a huge asset to the municipalities and the whole town.”