Former Brandon police chief Wayne Balcaen seeking PC nomination in Brandon West

A well-known — and now former — police officer in western Manitoba wants his next job posting to be at the Manitoba legislature. 

Wayne Balcaen, who retired last Friday as chief of the Brandon Police Service, is seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in Brandon West. 

Balcaen said a run for politics seems like an extension to his life in the public service. 

"Politics is something I've actually never ventured into so this will be a first time for me, but I think at the municipal, provincial and federal level, there's all different areas" in which a person can contribute, he said in an interview.

"This works very well for my future plans. I can make a difference, whether it was locally here with the police service or now I'm hoping to do the same as a member of the PC party." 

The lifelong Brandon resident worked as a police officer for about 33 years, the last six as chief.

Balcaen said he approached the Progressive Conservatives about running for office. It sped up his planned retirement from policing by a few months, "but I'm so happy to step away a little bit early and to entertain this exciting opportunity," he said.

Balcaen officially launched his candidacy Monday afternoon at the Joe Beeverz Bar and Grill in Brandon. 

The seat is currently held by Reg Helwer, who announced earlier this year he wouldn't seek re-election. Helwer was first voted into the legislature in 2011.

The Tories have yet to set a date for a nomination meeting. James Montgomery, who has had various jobs in Brandon, including as executive director of the Riverbank Discovery Centre, is the other candidate hoping to carry the party banner.

PC's crime approach broader than arrests: Balcaen

Balcaen said the Tories align with a lot of his beliefs, especially the progressive part of the Progressive Conservatives. 

He said he appreciates the party's approach to crime.

"It's not overly heavy-handed. It's also a lot of restorative justice, a lot of community mobilization, community policing initiatives, areas that I'm passionate about, knowing that in the policing world we'll never arrest our way out of the problems and issues that have come up in society," Balcaen said.

Despite two years of opinion polling in which the governing Progressive Conservatives have lagged behind the NDP, the Tories have attracted several candidates with name recognition. 

Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Obby Khan and former Winnipeg mayoral candidate Kevin Klein each won byelections for the party.

More recently, the PCs chose Rick Shone, another Winnipeg mayoral candidate, to run in the Fort Garry constituency in the upcoming provincial election. 

Polling released last week, though, suggests the PCs and NDP are locked in a reported dead-heat, though the NDP holds a 16 percentage point lead in Winnipeg.

The election is scheduled for Oct. 3.