The manager of community safety for the City of Williams Lake was busy packing up the items from his office at the RCMP detachment before one final night of Operation Red Nose.
Dave Dickson officially retired on New Year’s Eve.
“Likely the people,” Dickson said of what he will miss most.
“We’ve had some good projects. The team that I’ve worked with a lot over the past-names like Vanessa Riplinger, Silvia Dubray, Warren Brown, Jeff Pelley, and Milo MacDonald those names all come to mind as dear people. We’ve accomplished a lot of things, and I hope that that desire continues to be there as we move forward to keep these projects that are so important to our community and so important to the safety and well being in the community. So I’m hoping that somebody picks up the ball and keeps it rolling.”
Among some of the accomplishments within his role Dickson said has been the restorative justice program, the Situation Table and the fruition of Williams Lake Indigenous Court.
“It’s nothing that I have done great,” Dickson said.
“It’s just I have got to work with good people and when you have good people that support you, share your vision, and have a passion for it, it unfolds and you come up with some really positive things.”
Dickon added he believes overall that crime has come down and said that we must continue to look at the health and well being of the person versus the crime.
“If you can get that person healthy we will rapidly diminish the crime rate. That’s the key to success,” Dickson said.
“It’s proven worldwide that if you address the root causes you will be successful. So I hope that that vision continues on with the City and time will tell.”
Dickson who calls Williams Lake home said he and his wife will remain in the community for the foreseeable future.
“The main thing is to stay healthy and that’s my sole goal. My wife and I are both healthy and we want to continue to be healthy and look after ourselves so we can do the things that we’ve postponed over the last many years now.”
(Editor’s Note: Listen to Dave Dickson with the author of this report in the audio file below)