ESTEVAN - The new chief of police for the Estevan Police Service has been impressed with what he has seen and encountered thus far in Estevan.
The Estevan board of police commissioners announced Tuesday that Richard Lowen has been hired for the vacant police chief’s job. He brings 32 years of policing experience in various capacities to Estevan.
Lowen’s first official day on the job will be Sept. 20.
“I just saw it as a new opportunity,” Lowen said in an interview with the Mercury. “I’ve been part of a big organization here in Winnipeg, and the chance to come and connect with people is something that I was missing. I want to be part of a smaller community where I get to know everybody and everybody gets to know me.”
The best times of his career came when he was part of a unit that felt more like a family, and if he can be part of a family here, that would be great.
In his units in Winnipeg, he has overseen more than 460 people, so it’s hard to get that kind of connection.
And while there will be the differences between being a superintendent with a big police service in Winnipeg versus being the chief of a smaller police force like Estevan, there are always similarities in policing.
“We’re all dealing with the Criminal Code. We’re all dealing with the challenges of people facing addictions and those sorts of things,” said Lowen.
After applying for the job, he started researching the community. The chief of police in Weyburn, Jamie Blunden, used to be an inspector for Lowen in Winnipeg.
“If nothing else, it made it more attractive to apply, so I was honoured when they asked me to come down there,” said Lowen.
During the interview process, Lowen and his wife came to Estevan, and both were impressed with the city.
He looks forward connecting with the community, the police board and the officers.
Throughout his tenure, Lowen worked in a variety of ranks throughout the Winnipeg Police Service including uniform operations, stolen auto, the Manitoba Integrated Organized Crime Task Force, professional standards and criminal investigations. He has also served four years as an executive officer of the Winnipeg Police Senior Officers Association.
In 2016, Lowen assumed command of investigative services overseeing major crimes, specialized investigations, organized crime, forensics, intelligence, technology operations and professional standards.
The next edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
