By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
A former member of the Winnipeg Police Service with 25 years of law enforcement experience has been appointed as the new Chief of Police for the Corman Park Police Service (CPPS).
The appointment of Robert (Rob) Duttchen was announced by the Corman Park Board of Police Commissioners on December 3, which is also when he began his duties.
Duttchen was sworn in by Chief Judge Shannon L. Metivier during a formal ceremony at the Corman Park municipal office on Monday, December 8.
Following the resignation of Ron Chomyn on September 12, the Corman Park Police Commission went through a “thorough and competitive” recruitment process to find his replacement.
In a news release, it was noted that Duttchen joined the Winnipeg Police Service in 2000. Prior to that, he had served 13 years with the Canadian Armed Forces.
His experience includes general patrol, street crime, the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team and numerous supervisory roles. Most recently, he served as Deputy Commander of the Division 13 North District General Patrol. He has received several honours throughout this career, including the Manitoba Attorney General’s Award for Law Enforcement Excellence and the Police Exemplary Service Medal.
“Chief Duttchen’s experience, integrity, and approach to policing position him as the right leader for Corman Park,” said Police Commission Chair and Division 5 Councillor Art Pruim. “We are confident the future of policing in our municipality is very strong under his leadership.”
At the ceremony, Duttchen said he often thinks to himself how proud his father would be upon reaching a new milestone in life, but this was especially the case with his new role given CPPS’ focus on road safety.
“You see, when a distracted driver killed my father in 2009, road safety and particularly combating distracted driving became one of my focuses,” he said.
“But road safety is only one of the many challenges I look forward to addressing for the residents and businesses of Corman Park. As police resources are stretched and rural crime continues to concern many in the RM, I look forward to building a police service that fosters strategic partnerships across our law enforcement partners, the community, faith organizations and First Nations.”