After more than four decades of serving in uniform, Central Saanich Police Chief Constable Paul Hames has announced his retirement.
The decision wasn’t made lightly.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” he said.
Hames first entered into the RCMP on his 19th birthday, and will officially retire September 3 when he turns 60, giving him exactly 41 years in service.
“I think it was just time,” he said. “I still enjoy coming to work and I wanted to leave feeling very positive, knowing there’s still time in life to do things.”
Hames held the position of top cop in Central Saanich for over 16 years after his move from the RCMP, and said he’s been extremely fortunate to work with exceptional people throughout his career, both in policing and in the community.
“I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to have been involved with such a great organization,” he said.
Mayor Ryan Windsor, Chair of the Central Saanich Police Board, commended Hames for his years of service and said in a statement the Chief will be missed in policing circles across the country, but noted that Hames’ “participation in community events will ensure he remains a familiar face on the Peninsula for years to come.”
“I still have a lot of interest in the community,” said Hames, who doesn’t have any firm plans for his retirement years yet, but plans to remain involved with the Hospital Foundation Board and the Peninsula Co-op Board, at least for now.
“I look at my life like a book, and this is the next chapter, but it hasn’t been written yet. So I’ll write it as I go.”
The Central Saanich Police Board was expected to announce its plans for replacement of the Chief Constable at its monthly meeting, today (March 12).