The Drumheller RCMP detachment is celebrating the arrival of a corporal from Whitehorse who brings a wealth of specialized talent to the unit, including years spent fighting the digital exploitation of children.
Corporal Gerald Sherk began familiarizing himself with his new colleagues and the valley last week and will assume general duty in a supervisory position at the detachment.
“I’ll spend a lot more time passing on the skills I have learned to the members here, and developing them with their own investigative skills, as well as handle administration type duties that I had done before, such as the management of members and their careers and the detachment in and of itself,” said Cpl. Sherk.
Cpl. Sherk began his career in Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and worked general duty for three years before taking a position with the integrated child exploitation team within British Columbia’s major crimes unit.
For four years he specialized in sexualized, digital crimes against children, investigating both creators and traffickers of child pornography and individuals luring children.
The work demanded computer know-how and investigative skills while cooperating with other units throughout the province to expose those exploiting children online.
Cpl. Sherk entered that pathway because it allowed him to utilize his already developed technical skills and also provided a place to learn how to properly run an investigation.
“It was very rewarding work. You knew that no matter what the file was that there was always a real victim. Even if it was just someone trading pictures, that’s a real child in the photo. So you knew you were doing something really good when you went into work that day,” he said.
“It wasn’t a drunk person angry at another drunk person. This was a child who was at risk or who had already been victimized. It was pretty black and white, but that’s what made it so rewarding – you knew what you were doing made a difference and this was real victims who needed help.”
After four years with the integrated child exploitation unit, Cpl. Sherk felt he needed a change and to broaden his experiences while applying what he had learned at the unit to a new field.
“It’s very graphic material you’re seeing regularly. After a point in time you have to make that decision if you want to continue seeing just that.”
He took a northern post with the Whitehorse, Yukon RCMP, in the general investigation unit and dealt with serious and violent offences in a busy jurisdiction.
“It was an excellent place to learn and grow and a beautiful place to live.”
He was offered a promotional transfer to Drumheller and is already enjoying his new environment.
“It’s beautiful to look out of my office and see the hills. The day I moved in people were coming by the house to introduce themselves and say hello. It’s going to be a really good place to work.”
Cpl. Sherk will assume a supervisory position with intent to apply what he’s learned in both BC and the Yukon to the detachment and it’s members.
“I want to get my feet wet in managing the members themselves before going on. Hopefully one day I will move up to running my own detachment, but it’ll be a surprise where my career goes with the next step. For now, I really like this area and I think this is a place we are going to call home for a while.”
