Perth OPP have introduced Insp. Wendy Burrow as their new detachment commander.
Insp. Burrow served in the role in an interim capacity for five months after the retirement of Insp. Rob Scott.
The detachment commander is in charge of 63 sworn officers.
"I am excited to be working in Perth County," she told StratfordToday. "We have a tremendous group of dedicated members. They make me proud everyday with the work they do to keep the community safe."
Before joining the Perth detachment, Insp. Burrow was a staff sergeant in charge of regional planning out of West region headquarters in London.
An OPP officer since 1998, Insp. Burrow has worked in a variety of roles in several detachments across the province.
Though most calls for service remain the same as past years, advancements in technology have helped OPP officers do their jobs better, she said.
"On the other side of it, more crimes are done with technology, so it is more difficult for us to figure out the perpetrator or figure out what country they are in."
Insp. Burrow has won multiple awards, including the accolade award of auxiliary liaison of the year, the Ginette Hince Award for recruiter of the year, and the Ontario Women in Law Enforcement Award for team achievement. She has worked as a recruiter in uniform recruitment, a human resource analyst and training coordinator.
Insp. Burrow said when her policing career began, there were not many women in the command ranks in West region. Achieving the detachment commander position in Perth county shows other female police officers that they can do it too, she said.
