By Kathy Johnson
The Barrington RCMP Detachment has a new top cop at the helm.
Sergeant M.J. Deluco officially took over as the commanding officer at the detachment last Monday (Feb. 6) marking the first time a female officer has held the post at the Barrington detachment.
She is also the first female commander of an operational detachment in southwestern Nova Scotia, and the highest ranking to ever hold such a post in Nova Scotia.
With the exception of a one year posting in Nunavut, Sgt. Deluco has spent 24 of her 25 years on the force stationed in rural Nova Scotia communities including Yarmouth, Digby and Windsor. She transferred to Barrington from Halifax where she was the public complaints reviewer for H Division.
“I’m really happy to be here,” said Sgt. Deluco, who is a native of Ontario. “I like small communities especially in South West Nova. I enjoy the ocean and I enjoy the people in these small towns. The people are always interesting.
“I also have a good appreciation of the fishing industry and how it affects the livelihood and prosperity of communities,” she added.
“Engaging youth” will be a priority for Sgt. Deluco once she gets settled into her new job.
“I know I want to start a youth advisory group,” she said. “I’ll be looking for a diverse bunch of kids. This will be an opportunity for them to tell us what the community can do for them and in return, what they can do for the community.”
For Sgt. Deluco the love of the job is in “the investigations, helping people, making things better in the community and enforcing the law in a respectful way.”
With Barrington Detachment “up to strength” with a full complement of officers including a sergeant, a corporal, five constables and a school safety resource officer, Sgt. Deluco is looking forward to assuming her duties as the detachment commander.
“Administrative duties like balancing budgets come with the territory but in my mind my primary focus and attention will be, are my members safe and well trained and is the community being served?”
