Growing up with a father in the force, Korey Crerar always dreamed of joining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). But now, 20 years into his career, his job as an officer is changing.
“My dad joined the RCMP in the mid-70s and he specialized in collision reconstruction investigations.”
While Crerar looked up to his dad, he never pushed him into law enforcement.
“I always made my own choices,” Crerar said. “The support of my mom and dad to make my own decisions and it was my own path that led me to where I am now.”
Crerar’s love for his job started in training.
“I was paired up with my field coach,” he said. “We went out in a police car for the first time and I knew right away that I found the correct career.”
Being an RCMP officer is refreshing and Crerar loves that about this job.
“There’s really no expectations as to what is going to happen, when it’s going to happen and because of that, it does not feel mundane.”
Crerar likes that every day brings new challenges.
“What I enjoy the most is that no two days are the same,” Crerar says. “Every day is truly an unknown, It could be something simple like a lost dog or an injured deer or it could be something significant.”
Mark Harvey, an RCMP Constable who has worked with Crerar, agrees with him.
“You never know who you’re going to meet [and] what you’re going to run into,” says Harvey.
While Crerar enjoys the variation, some crime always stays the same.
“A bar fight is a bar fight, assault is assault, those never really change, those don’t really go away. Impaired driving is still impaired driving, that hasn’t changed either.”
Inside of a typical RCMP Vehicle with the kind of technology they use inside the car. Photo by Connor Balsillie.
Constable William Pritchard has worked with Crerar for three years.
“Korey is more of an expert in frauds than I am, that was sort of his specialty for a long time,” Pritchard said. “He is a lot more versatile in that than I am at this point. There’s a lot more of that stuff going on in technology that’s for sure.”
The internet and rush of new technologies brought a wave of change for everybody, including the RCMP.
“There are email scams which I’m sure you’re familiar with, there are online scams I’m sure you’re familiar with, there’s a different sophistication in fraud scams and things of that nature,” Crerar says.
Pritchard is also conscious of technology-based crime.
“There is a lot more of that right now with the coin and everything,” Pritchard says. “You can’t trace bitcoin so that [is] kind of frustrating people, losing a lot of money through scams like that.”
Change is scary for anyone but Crerar is always well-prepared for new crimes that are surfacing.
“I have stayed current with different investigational techniques by always furthering my education both through my employer and through Canadian Police College.”
The RCMP now uses the internet as investigative techniques and is incorporating new technologies to help with more sophisticated white-collar crimes.
“The recording devices being used; they have proven to be an excellent resource for police,” says Crerar.
Crerar’s experience in the RCMP has led him through many cases, which he hopes have helped the people involved.
“I would sincerely hope that I’ve had many positive influences, people, over the years. I have been given positive feedback over the years about my influence on others lives.”
Editor: Mollie Smith | msmith@cjournal.ca