THE Abbotsford Police Board announced on Tuesday that, effective October 1, Deputy Chief Mike Serr will be Abbotsford’s next Chief Constable. Mike Serr currently serves as Abbotsford Police Department’s Deputy Chief Constable of Operations.
Chief Constable Bob Rich will be retiring after serving Abbotsford for the last decade. His last day is September 30.
Prior to his appointment in Abbotsford, Serr served for 26 years with the Vancouver Police Department. Serr worked in a variety of challenging and demanding positions in Vancouver, including being the Officer in Charge of Professional Standards and later the Organized Crime Section.
Serr joined the APD in November 2015 as the Deputy Chief Constable of Administration, and transferred to the role of Deputy Chief Constable of Operations in November 2017. Active nationally in the field of policing, Serr currently is the Chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Drug Advisory Committee, and was in a leadership role in the Provincial Overdose Response Joint Task Force. Locally, Deputy Serr is also the Chair of the Abbotsford Opioid Working Group.
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun stated, “When Deputy Serr was hired in 2015, the Board made it known it was looking for a candidate who could be the next Chief Constable. During his service with the APD, Deputy Serr has shown that he is the leader we have been looking for, and the Board was unanimous in selecting him to be the next Chief Constable.”
Serr began his policing career with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Simon Fraser University. He continues to pursue educational opportunities and has completed the Canadian Police College Executive Development Program, the Critical Incident Command course, and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Institute for Strategic International Studies program.
Serr has received several commendations and awards during his career in policing. He was honoured with Chief Constable Commendations from both the Vancouver and Abbotsford Police Departments, and is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Meritorious Service Award. Last August he received a Chief Constable’s Citation for his work developing one of the most successful and recognized undercover programs in Canada.
Chief Constable Bob Rich said, “It has been my absolute pleasure to work with Mike these past three years. I have complete confidence that he is the right person to lead the APD. Mike is an energetic leader who knows how to connect with the community, and will keep the focus on making our City safer. I am pleased with the Board’s decision to select Mike as the next Chief and grateful for their time in assessing him for the position.”
Serr said, “I am truly honoured for this opportunity to serve the citizens of Abbotsford. I want to thank the Abbotsford Police Board for their confidence in me and Chief Rich for his continued support. It’s my privilege to serve and work with the dedicated women and men of the Abbotsford Police Department.”