John Van Dyke sworn in as South Simcoe Police Chief

South Simcoe Police chief sworn in Chief John Van Dyke was sworn in before dozens of dignitaries, family and his police service members at the Innisfil Town Hall.

It's official; after 34 years of service, John Van Dyke is now the South Simcoe Police Service's Chief of Police.

Chief John Van Dyke was sworn in on Thursday before dozens of dignitaries, family and his police service members at the Innisfil Town Hall.

"I try to treat everybody as a human being, with dignity and respect; I try to look after my people," Chief Van Dyke said. "We don't solve all the problems in society with an arrest, sometimes, we look for other avenues to solve problems, and that is how we will look to evolve as police."

Chief Van Dyke said the unanimous support from colleagues humbled him in his six months as acting police chief.

The Bradford West Gwillimbury native takes pride in being able to represent his hometown.

"It's perfect to have someone like that in your community," said Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor James Leduc. "He knows the community from the past, he knows Innisfil very well, he understands the needs."

Chief Van Dyke took over as acting chief from former chief Andrew Fletcher, who retired in September.

Almost immediately, Van Dyke faced one of the most challenging times a police chief could encounter - the deaths of constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup, killed in the line of duty in October.

"I was in awe of the way acting Chief Van Dyke was able to be so compassionate to everyone," said Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin. "He was able to lead still, be there for families, the community and of course, his police family."

For Chief Van Dyke, the wounds are still raw.

"It was the worst time of my life, to be honest," he said. "It was hard on our families, it was hard on our community, it was certainly hard on our members, and I just try to navigate it by doing what is right."

As he looks to lead the South Simcoe Police Service into a new era, Chief Van Dyke added he would create a more collaborative approach to policing with community partners.