The newest leader of the Royal Newfoundland Police says he wants to prioritize the mental well-being of members of the police force in his time as chief.
Patrick Roche spoke briefly to reporters in St. John’s on Tuesday, hours after the Justice Department announced his appointment as chief.
“Police activity today is very, very different from when I started in 1985. The kind of calls for service that we respond to, the dangers that come with front-line policing and police work in general, is unbelievable,” Roche said. .
“We have to be proactive in our treatment of mental health issues for our members. And how do we do that? We need to work with professionals who are experts in that area to guide us.”
Roche also spoke with concern about crime rates across the province and said he planned to pay particular attention to how the force handles mental health calls.
“We need to have training for our members… [on] how to recognize and interact with people suffering from mental health problems, and the protection of our members for their mental well-being,” he said.
Attorney General John Hogan said the province’s public service commission scoured the country for a successful candidate but selected Roche after determining he was “clearly the best candidate” to take on a job. permanent.
Allegations of sexual misconduct are taken ‘very seriously’
Roche, a former superintendent at Corner Brook and a 36-year veteran of the force, came out of retirement to take over as interim chief in August after the departure of Joe Boland.
His appointment comes amid significant challenges to the force, which has been mired in allegations of widespread sexual assault and harassment since last summer, when attorney Lynn Moore revealed that more than a dozen women he had approached her with claims that police officers had solicited sex or assaulted them while on duty.
Roche interrupted the news conference on Tuesday but returned briefly to address a question about an ongoing investigation of sexual misconduct within the ranks.
“I take allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously,” Roche said. “I’ve worked in the area of child sexual abuse, physical assault, and adult sexual assault…I know how serious [they are] and how much damage those incidents can cause to a person. I don’t take them lightly.”
He emphasized his experience in felony investigations and preparing cases for prosecution.
“I have an understanding of how these should be treated,” he said. “We’ll keep going.”
He told CBC News that he planned to address the issues facing the force in media appearances at a later date.
Roche’s late father, Richard Roche, served as head of the RNC from 1980 until his retirement in 1984.
