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From constable to superintendent

In a special series, the Burnaby NOW looks behind the scenes of the Burnaby RCMP
From constable to superintendent
New title: Supt. Stephan Drolet is the new operations officer for the Burnaby RCMP. Ranked directly below Chief Supt. Dave Critchley, Drolet's main responsibility is to support front line officers and manage staffing at the detachment.

Two decades ago Stephan Drolet arrived in Burnaby as a cadet for the RCMP. Twenty years later he is now secondin-command of the detachment where he spent his formative years as an RCMP officer.

"My first night was July 3, 1993 as a recruit in Burnaby, with my trainer and not knowing where south and north was," he recalled with a laugh.

This isn't quite the case anymore. Drolet, who is now a superintendent with the RCMP, has been back to Burnaby four times throughout his 20-year career - for a total of 15 of 20 years, spent in Burnaby.

"To me it's like a return home, I'm back home now," he said. "I was born as a police officer in Regina - where we train - and then I was raised as a police officer in Burnaby."

The city has changed a lot during Drolet's 20 years with the RCMP, so much that he was laughing as he recounted how local bush land where he caught kids partying is now a condo development.

"It's amazing to see what the city has done, the growth that we've experience in 20 years," he added.

No matter the changes, however, Drolet still recalls the way he felt when he first arrived in Burnaby.

"It was an interesting summer that summer. I remember my first day. I was excited to be there then, at the same time, you're frustrated because you don't know the city," he said.

Drolet said he still gets excited to come in to work, but the excitement has changed a bit over the years. As superintendent, he works similar hours to office workers - usually from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. depending on how busy the detachment is.

"I'm not a first line officer anymore. I don't go and deal with the issues that our members are called to assist with, I don't do the investigation, I support the front line," he said.

But that doesn't mean Drolet spends his days behind a desk filling paper work, just the opposite, he said.

"It's difficult to be strictly day-shift, that's been my big challenge to stay away from the operation because I still feel like I should be out on the road," he said.

Drolet's new position doesn't allow for too much time on the road, but he does his best to stay connected through Burnaby's patrol officers. In the mornings, Drolet comes in to the office and does all his paperwork, freeing him up to attend morning and afternoon briefings with the other officers.

"It's not about the promotions, it's not about your rank, to me it's always been about the shaving test," he said.

Throughout his 20 years, Drolet said he's never been motivated by ambition, rather it is his passion for his work that's kept him going year in and year out. The shaving test is something Drolet came up with many years ago as a way to gauge how happy he was at work.

"If I'm excited to go to work, it's a great day, and in 20 years I've never had a bad day," he said. "Every time I shave in the morning, I'm excited to go to work."

Drolet rose up the ranks of the RCMP quickly, starting at the bottom as all cadets do. From constable to corporal to sergeant and then to inspector before being promoted to his current rank of superintendent.

But he said none of that would matter if he hated his job.

As Supt. Drolet, he said he will be focusing on achieving clear goals in the office and doing his best to support the front line workers.

"As a constable you make a difference for the people you deal with, but now I've got a bigger scope of influence so I can make a difference for, hopefully, more people - both internally and externally," he said.

Part of this influence includes the rookie constables, and Drolet said he hopes to pass along his passion for his job to the younger generation of officers coming up.

"It's supporting them and giving them a goal," he added.

While Drolet couldn't say for certain where he'd be in the next five years, he does hope to stay in the city where he began his career. For now, though, he's happy to say he still wakes up for his morning shave with a smile on his face.