Keith Fletcher Ball

Divisions Served: “J”

Medals & Honours: Long Service Medal, Commanding Officer Commendation (2), Commanding Officer Letter of Appreciation, Queen’s Gold and Silver Jubilee Medals

Pillar Location: Pillar X, Row 10, Column A

Story: 

I was born on September 1, 1954 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. I graduated from Sydney Academy in 1972. In the fall of 1972, I attended St. Francis Xavier University, Sydney Campus now known as University of Cape Breton. Several months at the university made me realize that university was not for me. Knowing that there were no career opportunities in Cape Breton, I considered two main career options. The military and the RCMP.  I chose the Force. I immediately applied at the age of 18. My application was approved and on October 9th, just a month after my 19th birthday, I attended Depot for training.
Upon graduation in April, 1974, I was posted to “J” Division (New Brunswick) where I began and subsequently served my entire career in this division. My first post was Hillsborough Detachment which was a three person detachment at the time. During my stay at this post, I worked the majority of time alone and quickly became aware of the responsibilities that were placed upon me as a police officer serving one’s community. On September 8, 1974, I was required to rescue three persons stranded on a ledge above the frigid waters of the Bay of Fundy. The subjects were caught by the fast tides and were forced to climb a ledge for safety. Two persons were fortunate to be rescued by boat. One, however, due to the rough waters, had to swim to safety. This subject panicked once entering into the freezing water and started to drown. This resulted in me diving into the water, recovering him and towing him to safety which resulted in my receiving my first Commanding Officer Commendation.
In November, 1974, I was transferred to Riverview followed by a posting to Deer Island in the spring of 1975. Deer Island was a one person post and the duration of the posting was from May 1 to September 1. Upon completion of this summer post, I was transferred to St. George Detachment under which jurisdiction Deer Island fell. In the spring, due to a petition by the residents of the island, I was required to return. During my tenure at St. George Detachment, I met my wife to be, Lorna, who was the detachment clerk. In the fall of 1976, I was transferred to McAdam Detachment on a temporary basis while she took a transfer and promotion to “J” Division Commercial Crime. On September 16, 1978, Lorna and got married. I was posted to Oromocto Municipal Detachment followed by Fredericton Detachment.
At this time, the province of New Brunswick had become an official bilingual province, and to meet the needs of the citizens of this province, members of the RCMP had to be bilingual. Each unilingual officer was given the choice of a transfer out of the Division, attend language training and relocate to a bilingual or predominately French post to enhance the training received, or to remain a constable where promotion for a unilingual member was extremely low. I decided to attend the language program.
In September 1981, I attended the French Language program and successfully completed it in May 1982. Lorna and I were subsequently posted to Edmundston Detachment which resulted in Lorna ending her career with the Force. While in Edmundston, our two children, Craig and Deanna were born.
In June 1988, I was promoted to the rank of Corporal and transferred to Campbellton Rural Detachment. During my stay at this post, I received a Commanding Officer’s Commendation for the arrest of an armed murder suspect while under fire. My testimony and that of the other arresting officer resulted in the presiding Queen’s Bench Justice to salute us in open court.
In April 1993, I was promoted to Sergeant at Plaster Rock Detachment. This is a small rural 5 officer post in the center of the province. In the fall of 1996, I was contacted by the Officer i/c of Career Management to determine my interest in being a Career Manager. In June, 1996, I transferred to “J” Division HQ in Fredericton.
My tenure as a Career Manager was extremely busy and challenging. This position opened my eyes to the internal workings of the Force. At the time of commencement of my tenure at this post, there were approximately 500 members in the Division. Upon my completion of same, there were 1000 as a result of the absorption of Moncton City Police, and multiple small municipal forces. Of all the absorptions, the Moncton City Police Force was the most challenging with over 150 members to process along with regular duties. As a result of my efforts, I received a Letter of Appreciation from the Commanding Officer.
During my entire career, I was a firm believer in community policing and giving to the community more than what I did during my shift. As a result of my efforts, I received multiple plaques from the communities I served as well as the Queen’s silver and golden jubilee medals.
In October 2003, I retired from the Force and was appointed Sheriff by the Lt. Governor of New Brunswick for York, Sunbury and Queen’s Counties. This later expanded to Carleton and Victoria Counties as well. I remained Sheriff until October 2015, resulting in 42 years of law enforcement.
Upon retirement, I reside with Lorna, my two children and two grandchildren in Fredericton, NB