Vernon’s top cop stepping into retirement

VERNON – Vernon’s top cop is retiring.

Supt. Reg Burgess made the announcement in front of Vernon City Council Tuesday afternoon.  

“I think he did really well. In recent years, we were doing better than the national average in terms of addressing crime,” Coun. Juliette Cunningham says. “It was great working with him.”

Burgess was the superintendent for the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP detachment over the past several years and spent many years in charge of community policing in Kelowna.

Cunningham says he was always mindful of city budget restrictions, and willing to work with volunteers like Citizens On Patrol. Under his watch, the detachment increased its focus on targeting prolific offenders and succeeded in getting more convictions, Cunningham says.

“I wish him the best. He’s worked hard and he deserves his retirement,” she says.

The RCMP is now on the hunt for a new superintendent.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.