Oak Bay police chief to retire in May
Oak Bay’s police chief is retiring after his second stint at the helm of the municipality’s force.
Mark Fisher, who is retiring on May 31, was appointed to replace the retiring Ray Bernoties in September 2022. Fisher had previously served as police chief in Oak Bay from 2011 to 2014 and as deputy chief from 2020 to 2022.
He began his policing career in Williams Lake and has 33 years of policing experience overall, including terms as officer in charge of both West Shore and Nanaimo RCMP, commanding officer of Saskatchewan RCMP and RCMP liaison officer to B.C. for justice-reform initiatives.
Fisher, from the Alberta farming town of Rosalind, called serving as chief constable in Oak Bay a “very rewarding” experience.
“I am proud of the changes we have made over the past several years to build a culture of excellence in community policing,” he said of the 24-officer department. “The level of support we receive from our residents, the police board and our community leaders makes this a great place to work.”
That dedication to community policing includes an emphasis on bike and foot patrols, as well as having monthly “coffee with a cop” meetings for the public, he said.
“It gives people a chance to see us outside the cars in an approachable environment.”
Fisher said recent health challenges led to the decision to step away from policing at the age of 54 — earlier than he had planned. He said those challenges are “manageable” and he is looking forward to a healthy retirement, which will mean kayaking, hiking, cycling, volunteering — and, of course, spending time with family.
Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch, who is also chair of the Oak Bay Police Board, said the community is lucky to have had Fisher lead its police force.
“Throughout his time in Oak Bay, Chief Fisher has demonstrated exceptional leadership both inside the department and in the community.”
Murdoch said the process of finding a successor has begun.