Police work in Houston is a switch from the streets of Prince Rupert, where Officer Duane Biever started his first RCMP post three and a half years ago.
But looking ahead, his focus is the same—working on drug crime.
"I think general society is all behind you on wanting to see that end," he said.
The young officer worked with federal and provincial drug units in Prince Rupert, handling street-level drug crime.
"Drug work is probably the most challenging field within policing, within my mind," he said, adding that it can be a real challenge to build up a drug case that will hold up in court.
"That's a lot of our job—looking to the court system and making sure that we cross our T's and dot or I's."
While policing drugs is a long-term career goal, at the moment Officer Biever is often answering call-outs for a much more immediate assignment.
"My main interest is that I'm with the tactical team out of Terrace," he said.
Members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) have two call-out levels, one where they must absolutely be ready to respond, and a secondary level where an officer can turn calls down if he or she happens to be out of reach—like on a hunting trip.
An avid hunter, Officer Biever said hunting was one of the big reasons he chose Houston for his second posting. This year, he managed to take aspring black bear, ducks and a deer.
Getting out of Prince Rupert's wet coastal weather is also a welcome change, he said.
"I'm happy to be back where the snow is going to fly and you get four seasons."
Houston is quieter than Prince Rupert, he said, both as a place to police and a place to live in.
"I like smaller towns. I grew up in Hudson's Hope, with 1,200 people."
Houston is also a great place to raise a young family, as he's found recently. On top of call-outs to the ERT, he's likely to get a few from home—he and his wife had their first child in June.