Saskatchewan RCMP introduces new commanding officer

After joining the RCMP 25 years ago, Rhonda Blackmore can now add assistant commissioner and commanding officer to her list of titles.

Blackmore is now the commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP.

Originally from Ontario, Blackmore started her career in Saskatchewan by serving in Assiniboia, White Butte and Buffalo Narrows before working in her home province and then Alberta.

“Even though I’m not from Saskatchewan, having started my career here, it does feel a little bit like a homecoming,” Blackmore told Gormley on Thursday. “(There’s) that small-town feeling that you just have, that assurance that people will look out for each other here and take care of one another.

“I really appreciate coming back to that. It’s great.”

One priority for Blackmore as she enters her new role includes building stronger relationships with Indigenous leaders and communities.

“It’s not only myself building relationships at the level of the Indigenous leaders throughout the province, but it’s also those relationships with our individual detachments,” she said. “We’ve placed reconciliation as a very high priority with our Indigenous communities.

“It’s about building on the trust that we have and creating the trust where it’s absent right now.”

Blackmore also described addressing rural crime as important.

“We’re not just aimlessly looking to combat rural crime. We are using our specialist teams to enhance detachments, policing (and) our crime reduction team,” she said. “We’re looking to make a difference in the productivity and how we can fight rural crime.”

Blackmore started her new position on April 12.