Victoria Police Chief Frank Elsner swore in his first recruits on Wednesday — a pair of homeowners eager to be part of the local force.
Casey Jones is 28 and graduated from Parkland Secondary School, while 32-year-old Matthew King attended St. Andrew’s Regional High School. Both bring diverse backgrounds to their positions as Victoria Police Department constables.
After Parkland, Jones went to the University of Victoria, where he earned a bachelor of science degree, majoring in physics and earth sciences. He then attended the Justice Institute and trained as a paramedic.
That was followed by extensive service with the coast guard doing search-and-rescue, where he earned a reputation for being calm under pressure.
Jones, who is single, is also a fitness enthusiast and has worked as a personal trainer. His most recent employer was the Institute of Ocean Sciences, where he was involved in field work and other tasks.
As well, he has volunteered considerable time as a rugby coach and outdoor-education leader at Parkland.
Jones said he is happy to be an officer in the area where he was raised.
“You grow up and you go to events and you’re hanging out with friends in the city, so to be able to give back and to keep it safe is a great opportunity.”
King, who is married with an infant son, also attended UVic, where he obtained a degree in education. A talented athlete, he played as a professional in the National Lacrosse League.
He has been a teacher at Duncan’s Queen of Angels Catholic School for the past eight years, with his primary subjects being mathematics, English and physical education.
The department seeks well-rounded prospective officers, King said. “I think that’s the key in the recruiting process. All the way along that was made clear to us, that what they were looking for was people with life experience.”
Elsner, wearing a pink shirt to convey the anti-bullying message of Pink Shirt Day, noted that a large number of officers and staff attended the swearing-in session.
“This is a big deal for us,” he said. “It’s a day that every police officer in this room will be able to tell you what it meant to them when we first came on.”
His own swearing-in was a big public event Dec. 16 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. He was given badge No. 454, and now Jones will wear 455 and King 456.
Elsner said Jones and King, who bring the force back up to a full complement of 243 officers, are now part of a big police family.
“We take that very, very seriously. We take your safety seriously. We take your hearts seriously.”
Elsner said police work is among the most honourable of callings. “With that comes a lot of responsibility.”
