Although there has been some controversy around the time of his resignation, former Estevan Police Chief Paul Ladouceur is looking back on his last seven years in a positive light. There have been a lot of successes that the Estevan Police Service has been able to enjoy as a result that Ladouceur credits to the people that he worked with, and while he believes now is the right time to pass the reigns on to the next person, the community here is one he will miss. 

"It's been an excellent journey, but I think any of these positions as a chief, there comes a time where it's someone else's turn to take charge and I've always said chiefs have a shelf life. I signed a five year contract and decided to stay for seven years mainly to see a few projects completed before before I left my position."

Over the last seven years, the city has seen a lot of things happen around policing that will make lasting impacts on the community moving forward. From the creation and partnership of MADD in Estevan and other public organzations to internal matters such as updating the facility and implimenting a full time social worker in the community, Ladouceur believes that the work he and his colleagues have been able to do will set the Estevan Police Service up well for the future.

"2018 was probably the most proud moment for me when we got recognized as having the most significant drop in crime over the previous five years across the country, which says something to the good work that's being done here."

The timing of Ladouceur's resignation does lineup close to the death of former Estevan Police officer Jay Pierson, but Ladouceur maintains that this is not the reason he is leaving. His resignation is something has been planned before those events, and while he is aware of what some people may say on social media, he knows that there are a lot of people commenting that don't truly know everything going on behind the scenes.

"I can tell you that my wife and I had been thinking when's the right time prior to this, so the timing is horrible when you look at recent events. As I said, I believe chiefs have a shelf life and my commitment is to the organization and for me to stay would be for selfish reasons. I think it's someone's turn to take the helm and move the organization forward. So absolutely nothing related to the timing or anything like that. It's a case of it's time for my next journey in life."

It will be some time before a new Police Chief is named and hired in Estevan, and in that time Sgt. Warren Morrical will be filling that role. No matter who ends up taking the job in the future, Ladouceur shared this advice to the person that takes on the challenge.

"The biggest thing is being involved in the community and really making Esteven their home because when it's your home and your place where you and your family is living, there's much more commitment to see things be successful."

Ladouceur is planning to take a few weeks off before deciding on the next chapter for him. He and his family thank the community for welcoming them for the last seven years.