The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Justice:

RNC Chief of Police Retires after 35 Years of Service

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to recognize the outstanding achievements of retired Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Chief of Police Robert P. Johnston and to also welcome our new Chief, William Janes, to the job.

There is no higher rank one can achieve at the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary than the Chief of Police, and Chief Johnston served admirably in this capacity after taking on the role in May 2010. Upon his retirement, he was a 35-year veteran of the RNC with the majority of his career being spent in the Criminal Investigation Division, Criminal Intelligence, Major Crime and Sexual Offence Units. Chief Johnston is a recipient of the 30-year Police Exemplary Service Medal and the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. In 2012 he was appointed to the Order of Merit in the Officers’ Category. Shortly after the official opening of the new RNC headquarters at Fort Townshend last month, Chief Johnston announced his well-earned retirement from the police service.

Chief Robert Johnston has been an exemplary police officer and an outstanding role model for all those who worked with him. Under his guidance, we saw many positive developments in the structure of the RNC including new specialized units in the Criminal Investigation Division, the prioritizing of training for officers, and a focus on best practices in terms of scientific and investigative techniques. We also saw women encouraged and supported in becoming police officers at the RNC.

On behalf of the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, I would like to thank Chief Johnston for his valuable contribution to policing in the province. He has made the RNC a better police service and made our communities safer places in which to life.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge the 21st RNC Chief of Police who was officially appointed by the Premier on February 28. I would like to take this opportunity to officially introduce Chief Bill Janes to this Honourable House. Chief Janes has been a member of the RNC for almost 30 years and most recently served as Deputy Chief - Criminal Operations. He has played a significant leadership role in helping the RNC become one of Canada’s leading law enforcement agencies, and as we have already seen since his inauguration, he will persist in the pursuit of policing excellence. The Provincial Government is committed to ensuring safe and secure communities in which to raise our families, and looks forward to collaborating with Chief Janes on future policing initiatives.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2014 03 13                                          3:20 p.m.