Editor:
I was extremely disheartened to read the negative comments associated with Yves Lacasse during testimony in the trial of Kamloops Cpl. Rick Brown (‘Trial hears of ‘bully’ heading ‘dysfunctional detachment,’ Sept. 18).
I have known and worked with Lacasse since 2008.
He is known to be a solid leader who is not complacent.
Lacasse is proactive, he challenges the status quo and he is very dedicated and hard-working.
Under his police leadership, the Kamloops area experienced significantly reduced crime, implementation of red zones, reduction of crack houses and many other successes.
Stopping organized crime from gaining a foothold in the city may be one of his biggest accomplishments.
As a lead fundraiser for the United Way, Lacasse dedicated significant time and energy to raising funds for those less fortunate Kamloops residents.
In my time, I did not see or hear of him bullying anyone.
I did see him hold RCMP members accountable for providing a high level of service to the community and their internal teams.
I’ve learned leadership is not a popularity contest. It requires the ability to make difficult decisions for many people, which means some people won’t always agree.
Rather than trying to cast a shadow on one of the best leaders in the community, we should be focused on what happened in the cellblock incident, learn from it and move forward.
Staff Sgt. Ben Rodrigue
watch commander
North Vancouver RCMP
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