The Port Moody Police Department has a new heavy.

After being sworn in Monday night, Insp. Andy Richards is the department’s new officer in charge of criminal investigations.

A longtime PoMo resident, Richards comes from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit and the Organized Crime Agency of B.C., where he and PMPD Chief Const. Brad Parker were lead investigators in Project Nova — the 2001 investigation that netted the first major convictions of B.C. Hell’s Angels. Richards was also responsible for the recent arrest of UN Gang leader Clayton Roueche in Texas.

“He’s highly qualified, so it’s a real coup for the Port Moody Police Department,” Parker said.

With PoMo experiencing four armed robberies in the last month, Richards’ background in successful criminal investigations will come in handy quite quickly.

“And we measure success in criminal investigations in convictions, not just charges,” Parker added.

Richards has a teaching degree from UBC and next spring he’ll be finishing a master’s in criminal justice. He spent 18 years with the Vancouver Police Department and said his heart has always been in municipal policing.

Also sworn in on Monday were Jevon Baessen, a computer whiz who will be assisting officers with the information technology side of their investigations, and new recruit Eric Ludeman.

Ludeman, 22, graduated from Gleneagle secondary and went on to become a paramedic but ever since he was a child, Ludeman, who’s also a Canadian Forces reservist, has wanted to be a police officer. He’s trading his stethoscope for a gun and handcuffs — and it’s not just so he can drive fast and turn on the lights and sirens.

“I kind of got my fill of that with the ambulance,” he said with a smile. “This is the best of everything. I get to do something I really want and I can give back to the community. And I can continue living in Port Moody.”

On Monday, Ludeman heads off to the police academy for nine months of training, to be followed by several years of on-the-job training in his PMPD uniform.

spayne@tricitynews.com