“I tip my hat off to the community, and I look forward to the new challenge ahead.”
Bonnyville RCMP S/Sgt. Luis Gandolfi is ready to move on in his career. “I’m leaving because the opportunity was there to do a little something different. I’ve been doing this job for eight years in Bonnyville. It’s probably a good thing just to try something different after that much time,” he said.
His new opportunity comes in the form of regional manager at the St. Paul RCMP Detachment. Not only is it a new job title, but the step up also means new responsibilities.
“My new job will be to work with and coach other commanders in the area. Although I won’t be working directly with the community partners, I will be helping some of our younger commanders navigate some of those conversations,” Gandolfi expressed.
But, his rise in the ranks is bittersweet.
As a long-term member in Bonnyville, Gandolfi said he is going to miss the local detachment.
“It’s been great. It has really been a wonderful experience. There have been a few bumps along the way, and lots of learning. Really, we fell in love with the community. I don’t think the intent was to ever really stay in Bonnyville, but we found ourselves here and eight years later, our family is very happy here,” he expressed. “I think that’s the idea, is to do something different and remain in a place that we enjoy.”
During his time as a staff sergeant in Bonnyville, Gandolfi worked with local municipalities and other partners to create a General Investigation Unit.
Since then, it has thrived in the community.
“I’m a little sad that I won’t be able to witness some of the successes of that unit, but it’s going to be a good thing for Bonnyville,” Gandolfi noted.
Although most police officers would proudly reflect on their top investigations and arrests, Gandolfi found another area in his career that brought him joy and fond memories.
“You would think being a police officer in a community is exciting, but I remember the Ice Bucket Challenge that we did in front of the office, that was pretty special for us,” he described.
It was moments like this, where the RCMP and the community came together for a cause that warms his heart.
Gandolfi also noted his work on decreasing impaired driving within the municipality as a highlight of his career.
“We had a serious problem with impaired driving at the time. One year, we had over 200 impaired prosecutions, that’s almost one every day and a half. That’s a lot,” expressed Gandolfi. “I’m pretty happy and proud of the fact that we were able to bring that number down, both through media, cooperation with community groups, and also through enforcement.”
He admits, on his first day, he was nervous coming to the community, regardless of the fact that he already knew it so well through his work as a traffic investigator and supervisor.
“I was nervous, because I knew I was getting into something. You always hope you’re prepared for it, but at the same time, whenever you take a step up, you have to expect there are going to be things you don’t fully understand or know how to deal with. There’s a little bit of nerves there.”
At the end of the day, Gandolfi and his family fell in love with the area. This is one of the reasons why Gandolfi will be commuting from Bonnyville to St. Paul everyday.
“We’re still going to be around. I’m going to see friendly and familiar faces in the foreseeable future, so by all means, if you see me, don’t be afraid to say hi and share a few words. It’s been my honour to serve Bonnyville. I really wouldn’t change a thing about my last eight years, and moving forward, I have nothing but fond memories,” Gandolfi noted.
Now, the RCMP will start the process of finding a new staff sergeant, which can take anywhere from a couple of months to a year, depending on the circumstances. But no matter how long it takes, Gandolfi is confident the detachment and community has been left in good hands.
“Fortunately for Bonnyville, you have a very confident operations NCO who has been doing my job there in an acting role. She will be able to manage things just fine in my absence, and until someone gets identified,” he said about acting detachment commander Sgt. Sarah Parke.
As words of wisdom for the future commander of the Bonnyville RCMP, Gandolfi said “don’t fuss too much about nerves.”
“All of our community partners, right from the town to the MD, to the MD peace officers, to our partners in fire, EMS, and the hospital, everybody is top notch,” he emphasized. “I know it sounds like I’m just saying that, because a lot of people just would, but I really mean it. This is my fifth posting, and I don’t know if I have ever had the level of professionalism that I have seen here, and the level of support that you get from the community and public is second-to-none. It really is.”
His suggestion is to come in with an open mind and fresh ideas, and to always be ready for anything.
