Cpl. Michael Gauthier, left, with Bylaw Services Senior Officer Danny Hogan, City of Kelowna Community Safety Advisor Paul Selzer, and URBA on-call team members Razan Vig and Navkirat Singh/ Kelowna RCMP

By Vernon Matters Staff

boosting service

New supervisor for crime unit in Rutland

Apr 30, 2025 | 3:31 PM

The Kelowna RCMP’s Community Safety Unit (CSU), is expanding in Rutland offering what the agency said is dedicated frontline support.

It will include a full-time supervisor working directly in the community. He is 16-year veteran, Cpl. Michael Gauthier, who will start next week and be responsible for, among other things, increasing visibility, community engagement, and the implementation of crime prevention strategies.

The unit has been responsible for addressing complex issues and social disorder almost exclusively in the city’s downtown and Rutland uptown areas.

In a media release the RCMP said, in part, that Cpl. Gauthier was promoted from the Community Safety Unit to the Media Relations Unit in 2023, after having spent nearly four years with the team acting in several capacities, including road supervisor, RCMP liaison for Kelowna’s Integrated Court, bait bike coordinator, and team lead on several crime reduction initiatives.

“Community safety is council’s top priority, and we are pleased by the RCMP’s continued investment into the community, which builds on the resources we’ve invested in Rutland, including the Uptown Rutland Business Association (URBA) on-call team, to help ensure our city is safe and feels safe for residents, business owners, and visitors,” Mayor Tom Dyas said.

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“I’m pleased to welcome Cpl. Gauthier to this new leadership role — his experience and strong connection to Kelowna will be a valuable addition to our proactive efforts to reduce crime in the community.”