By Rick Pusiak
A 30-year veteran of the local police service has been promoted to the number three position in the Sudbury constabulary.
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Brian Jarrett assumed the rank of staff inspector last week. His rise in rank goes from inspector to staff inspector.
Recently sworn in Chief Ian Davidson is at the top of the chain of command followed by deputy chief Jim Cunningham and Jarrett.
The new staff inspector will serve as executive officer at police headquarters, report directly to the chief and deal with issues that are delegated to him.
Â?One of the areas that I believe is extremely important to the chief as well as it is to me is what we call problem solving,Â? said Jarrett.
Â?It would be working with the community and the police officers to address common problems that are (repetitive) in nature. They could be criminal behaviour, they could be nuisance issuesÂ?something as simple as noise concerns from a seniors citizens residenceÂ?it could be trouble with youth, speeders in a residential area, mischief in schoolyards.Â?
One main goal will be to solve recurring problems that continually drain limited police resources.
Although the duties and title are somewhat different, Jarrett basically fills the slot left vacant when Davidson was promoted from superintendent to the top job. The title of superintendent has been phased out.
Jarrett is a native of Sudbury who comes from a family well known for community service. His uncle Duke founded the Jarrett Centre and spent over 30 years of his life helping the mentally challenged. JarrettÂ?s father
Harvey was chair of the City of Sudbury planning board, a volunteer position, for about 20 years.
Jarrett himself has been on the St. John Ambulance board for 15 years and has long been involved with the United Way campaign.
Jarrett was schooled at the old Garson-Falconbridge high school and Sheridan Tech.
He attended Brigham Young University in Utah, got married in the United States and came back to Sudbury with the intention of working at Inco. Unfortunately, in 1971, the company wasnÂ?t hiring.
A friend of his, however, told him the City of Sudbury police force had openings and Jarrett popped in to the old headquarters building at 200 Larch St. By 1972 Jarrett was in uniform.
One year later Regional government kicked in so the young constable automatically became a member of the new Sudbury Regional Police department.
The staff inspector said Sudbury was quite a different place when he started out as a cop walking the beat.
He recalled the town being a little rough around the edges in the early 1970s especially on Elgin Street, and near the old Ramsey Hotel and the Nickel Range Hotel next to where the old Odeon Theatre now stands.
He pointed out Inco and Falconbridge employed over 20,000 people, many living in a staff village made of trailers near Copper Cliff.
Â?Of course on the weekends into town they came,Â? said Jarrett. Â?Walking the beat was a little bit rough as far as drunks and people you had to handle. At that time quite frankly (the police force) was looking to hire big police officers. The ideas have changed there and Sudbury is a much mellower place.Â?
Jarrett, 53, believes there was generally more respect in the old days for an officer in uniform. Changes in values, family breakdown and the drug culture have altered things, he said.
However, Jarrett still has faith in a large segment of society including young people and believes the majority of them still look up to men and women in blue.
Â?IÂ?m a strong believer that the police cannot do this job aloneÂ?without the community we lose. With the community we win, everyone wins.Â?
Jarrett said he has made a commitment to stay in his position for two years before retiring.
