There’s a new face at the helm of the Tsawwassen Community Police Station.
Const. Lee Chapman took over last month from Const. Leisa Schaefer who has left the Delta Police Department to take a role in an integrated unit as part of the RCMP.
Chapman, who has been with the DPD for 11 years in general patrol, is also a trained negotiator working with the RCMP throughout the Lower Mainland.
Prior to joining DPD, he worked as part of the nursing team at Colony Farms psychiatric hospital.
“I love being out in the public. I love talking with people,” said Chapman on why he loved his role as a patrol officer. “I joined Delta police because I liked their small-town style of policing. I like the satisfaction of seeing a case all the way through from the start of the call to the end of the call and hopefully you can end and resolve the call in a good way.”
He said his time in patrol will serve him well in his new role.
“I’ve already had some suggestions for this role where my face will be out in the community more. They don’t want us sitting behind a desk,” he said. “Eventually I will be out on a bike on patrol. I can be out on the beaches, over at the TFN and the (Tsawwassen) Commons – bringing the teams together and working with the TFN support team and the general patrol members to get that line of communication open further.”
Chapman said he, along with the volunteers, will continue to have a welcoming, open door policy when dealing with the public and will build on the successful community interaction Schaefer had.
“Already I’ve had people come in to chat – people who I have had interactions with in the past and stayed in touch with, including some families who I continue to check in on,” he said. “Just maintaining that relationship in the community is huge.”
Chapman said he would like to see more Block Watch volunteers in Tsawwassen, expanding the Bike 529 program, increasing the Speed Watch program as well as growing the volunteer base in the office.
“It’s listening to the community, seeing what their concerns are and working with them,” he said.
If you're interested in applying to be a volunteer, read everything you need to know at: https://deltapolice.ca/volunteer/.
