Oak Bay’s top law enforcement official bids farewell to the police department this spring – concluding his second tenure.
Chief Constable Mark Fisher came to the Oak Bay department from the West Shore RCMP in 2011. He left in 2014 to become the RCMP detachment commander in Nanaimo, then Saskatchewan RCMP commanding officer.
Fisher returned as deputy of the Oak Bay Police Department in September 2020, replacing Ray Bernoties, who assumed the chief role at that time. When Bernoties retired in 2022, Fisher again took the lead role.
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“Serving as the chief constable of the Oak Bay Police Department has been a very rewarding experience and I am proud of the changes we have made over the past several years to build a culture of excellence in community policing. The level of support we receive from our residents, the police board, and our community leaders makes this a great place to work,” Fisher said in a news release.
Mayor Kevin Murdoch, also chair of the police board, applauds the “exceptional leadership” of Fisher both in the department and community.
“Oak Bay is lucky to have had Chief Constable Fisher serve this community not once, but twice in this role,” Murdoch said. “Chief Fisher has always focused on developing a strong community policing model, and his contributions will positively impact Oak Bay for years to come. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
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After more than three decades of policing, Fisher officially retires May 31.
“While recent health challenges have caused me to reconsider priorities and retire earlier than planned, those challenges are manageable, and I look forward to a healthy retirement. I am very proud of our employees and the great work they do and will continue to do. It is a special community and I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work here,” he said.