After serving five weeks as the interim head of the Victoria Police Department’s West Division in Esquimalt, Keith Lindner is now the permanent leader of the division.
The 22-year Victoria police officer, who began his policing career in Calgary 26 years ago, was also promoted from the rank of staff sergeant to inspector.
Having policed the large city of Calgary and the mid-sized city of Victoria, Lindner said he is looking forward to policing the smaller Esquimalt and Vic West communities.
“For me it was an opportunity, something I’d never done,” he said. “I knew there were issues in Esquimalt. I love a challenge, plus the community aspect of it was an attraction for me.”
The position was left vacant after Insp. Darrell McLean retired from the department at the end of October.
“I’ve only been there five weeks and the key is establishing those working relationships,” Lindner said. “The Township of Esquimalt has welcomed me with open arms. It’s like I was born and raised there.”
Lindner, 50, was actually born and raised in Saanich and he and his wife have three teenage children.
He has worked in a number of different policing roles, including patrol, narcotics, crisis negotiation, emergency response, internal professional standards and investigative services.
Lindner now commands 18 officers and two civilians at West Division, where VicPD’s dog, school liaison, mobile youth services and integrated mobile crisis response teams are based.
“I supervise the way I parent,” Lindner said of his leadership style. “I care about the people that work with me.”