Peter Devries

Background

About Peter Devries

I currently work within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. I have twenty-four years’ experience as a Canadian police leader with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). I am currently occupying two roles in one of the largest Detachments in BC. I develop and implement service delivery innovations, strategic initiatives, and special projects to devise modern, progressive, data-driven community based solutions to safety and social issues. I also manage the Detachment’s strategic communications, focusing on developing public trust by showcasing proactive, data-driven community safety strategies addressing complex social issues. As communications officer, I oversee internal communications for 230 staff, relaying timely and important information, supporting workplace health and wellness, and fostering a workplace that is diverse, equitable, inclusive and bias- and harassment-free. I believe police leaders must be focused on inclusive community partnerships that reflect the diversity of the community they serve, and must build creative, innovative, and data-driven solutions in their efforts to solve what are often complex community safety challenges. It is critical that police leaders are unwavering on the behavioural integrity of their people, committed to continuous improvement, and invested in the health and wellness of their teams. We must ensure a harassment-free workplace that not only respects, reflects, and supports the changing realities and inequalities of diverse groups, but also celebrates diversity, engenders equity, and seeks input from a wide spectrum of perspectives and experiences.