Former Nelson police chief Dan Maluta died in an all-terrain vehicle accident over the weekend near Trail.

Maluta started his career with the Vancouver Police Department in 1981, where he worked for the first nine years of his career.

B次元官网网址淏ut growing up in Trail he knew he wanted to return to the Kootenays,B次元官网网址� states a Nelson Police Department news release.

B次元官网网址淪o he moved back to the area and joined the Nelson Police Department in April of 1990. Dan worked in patrol and GIS, and he made his way through the ranks of corporal, sergeant and then was appointed to inspector in January of 2000.B次元官网网址�

In October 2001, Maluta was appointed the 19th chief of the Nelson Police Department.

Maluta and former Nelson mayor John Dooley were neighbours and good friends. They also had a professional relationship because Dooley was mayor and chair of the police board during MalutaB次元官网网址檚 tenure as police chief.

Dooley told the Star on Tuesday that he and Maluta often went hunting and skiing together, and that their families were close.

B次元官网网址淎ll our children are around the same age and they all grew up together. There are just three houses on the street here, and we all experienced them growing up and having family dinners and barbecues in the yard, and baptisms and confirmations and communions, and all the family things, sports and music. We were very close over the years and when they moved to Bonnington we still had Christmas and Easter get-togethers.B次元官网网址�

Not long after Maluta retired in 2011, he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

B次元官网网址淭hat was a shock to all of us,B次元官网网址� Dooley said, B次元官网网址渂ecause when you retire things are supposed to fall into place. Being the type of person he is, a very determined person, he was able to battle his way through that, in spite of the prognosis that it was highly unlikely he would survive it.B次元官网网址�

Dooley said Maluta changed after his cancer surgery, B次元官网网址渂ecause of the illness and the trauma of brain surgery.B次元官网网址� But during the last couple of years B次元官网网址測ou could see him coming back to the Dan we all knew before. He started to come back to himself as he healed.B次元官网网址�

Dooley remembers Maluta as a helpful person.

B次元官网网址淒anny was the kind of person who was always available if someone needed help. When the accident happened, from what I can gather, he was helping some friends. He would help anyone. He was fantastic like that, just ask his colleagues at the police station there.B次元官网网址�

The police department news release states that Maluta made positive changes in his years as chief B次元官网网址渋ncluding creating many of the integration agreements that are still in place with the local RCMP, obtaining the police badge and flag for the department conferred by the Governor General, and creating the first departmental strategic plan. When he retired in 2011, Dan received recognition for his outstanding service to policing at the annual Police Honours event in Victoria.B次元官网网址�