WITH more than 80 years of municipal policing experience between them, Chief Constable Norm Lipinski on Thursday welcomed Inspectors Earl Andersen, Steve Drennan and Ryan Hall to the Surrey Police Service (SPS).
These are the first three inspectors that will be supporting the Executive Management Team in leading and guiding the organization within the three bureaus of the SPS. Each of these inspectors bring a depth of varied and exemplary service and expertise to Surrey, having served in municipalities in both B.C. and Alberta, said Lipinski.
Andersen is currently the Inspector in charge of Traffic Section in the Vancouver Police Department. He has served in several different sections and capacities in his 30-plus years of police service in that organization, including planning, research, policy and crime analysis.
Drennan comes to Surrey Police with over 25 years of policing experience from the Calgary Police Service. He is currently the Acting Superintendent of Community Policing North Division. He believes in the value and benefits of community engagement that inform the strategies of crime reduction, traffic safety and enforcement in the community under his leadership.
Hall hails from the Delta Police Department where he has served the citizens of that community for over 25 years. In his current role, he holds the rank of Inspector, overseeing the Community Support Section having previously held leadership positions in Organized Crime, Robbery and Street Crime for the last few years, with special emphasis on crime prevention through education, community involvement and innovation.
“It is inspiring to me the depth of character and skill sets that each of these officers possess,” said Lipinski. “Their wide-ranging backgrounds and experience will serve the organization and our citizens very well.”
He said that now that the hiring of the inspector rank is underway, Surrey Police Service will now focus on establishing the recruiting unit within the Support Service Bureau. Surrey Police Service continues to build the senior leadership structure in preparation for recruiting the rank and file in the coming months.
The Surrey Police Service had earlier announced the selection of three deputy chief constables: Assistant Commissioner Mike LeSage, Chief Officer of the CFSEU-BC; Superintendent Jennifer Hyland, Officer in Charge of Ridge Meadows RCMP; and Todd Matsumoto, Inspector with the New Westminster Police Service.
Three superintendents have also been selected: Lavinder (Lav) Mangat, currently serving as the Inspector and officer in charge of the Financial Integrity Program with the Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) RCMP; Allison Good, currently an Inspector with Ridge Meadows RCMP where she is the officer in charge of Operations; and Michael Procyk, currently an Inspector with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) of BC where he is serving as the Senior Investigations Officer (RCMP).
Earl Andersen
Inspector Andersen began his career in 1990, first working as a constable in patrol and then spent several years in the VPD Traffic Section. He later became an instructor at the Justice Institute of BC Police Academy followed by an assignment to represent Lower Mainland municipal police departments as the Implementation Coordinator for a proposed Real Time Intelligence Centre (RTIC-BC). Upon being promoted within VPD to Inspector, Officer-in-Charge of General Investigation Section, managing several investigation and surveillance teams and the Crime Analysis Unit. Andersen recently returned to the Traffic Section where he leads a team committed to enhancing road safety.
Andersen is an advocate for life-long learning. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Criminology at SFU in 2003 and was awarded a Master of Arts in Criminology in 2007. He is an adjunct faculty member at Langara College and a sessional instructor at Kwantlen Polytech University in Surrey.
He and his wife (also a police officer) enjoy residing in Langley and have raised two children together.
Steve Drennan
Inspector Drennan started his policing career in 1995 and has over 25 years of progressive experience with the Calgary Police Service. He began his career in community policing as a patrol officer and then transitioned to covert and undercover operations. He eventually moved to the Organized Section where he spent a significant amount of his career. Creating the Guns and Gangs Unit, the Strategic Intelligence Group, and the Criminal Networks Sections are career highlights. Drennan returned to uniformed policing as a Duty Inspector in the CPS Real Time Operations Centre. He is also a certified Critical Incident Commander where he has successfully resolved hostage takings, barricaded armed subjects and other high-risk calls.
In the later part of his career, he was A/Superintendent of the Ethics and Accountability Division where he aided in revitalizing the Professional Standards Section. Most recently, he moved back into community policing where he led Calgary’s North Division as A/Superintendent and was responsible for over 580 civilian and sworn staff. Drenan has a diploma in Law Enforcement, a certificate in Business Management, a certificate in Leadership and is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at University of Athabasca. In 2018, he participated in an immersive, research driven, executive development program for policing, public safety, and criminal justice agencies. The six months of intense study and collaborative research examined equity, inclusion, and fundamental respect in diverse policing organizations around the world.
Drennan has been married for 25 years and has two adult boys that are both currently attending University. He still likes to strap on the skates and play hockey twice a week. Moving to the Surrey area will allow him to explore his passion of the outdoors and all the beauty that is the Lower Mainland.
Ryan Hall
Inspector Ryan Hall began his career in policing with the Delta Police Department in 1995. He has had the opportunity to work in several different sections including, Patrol, Organized Crime, Robbery and Street Crime units over the course of his 25-year career. He was initially promoted to Sergeant in Patrol Division where he led a patrol platoon once promoted to Staff Sergeant and served on the Lower mainland Integrated Negotiating Team. During his career, Hall gained training and accreditation in Crowd Management, Critical Incident Command, Emergency Evacuations, conflict resolution, labor relations and bargaining. In addition to his assigned duties, Hall served the members of the Delta Police Department as the President of their Police Association. Most recently Hall oversaw Community Support Services where he led Traffic Services, Emergency Planning, School and Youth Liaison programs. It is here that he worked with many stakeholders in Delta focusing on crime prevention through education, community involvement and employing innovative strategies.
He is a guest lecturer at Kwantlen Polytechnic University for mental health de-escalation and police ethics and sits on the Criminology advisory board. When not standing at the front of the class he is a student himself, currently working on his Master of Business Administration at the University of London. This in addition to his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UBC.
As a long-time resident of Surrey, he continues to invest in the community as the President of the Newton Canadian Baseball Association, coaches and (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) he was a 3rd Degree Taekwondo instructor with a local Taekwondo Academy.
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