Job posting for new Edmonton police chief now open

The Edmonton Police Commission (EPC) took a big step forward Monday in the selection process for a permanent chief of police – a position that’s been vacant since the retirement of Dale McFee.

The job posting for chief of police of the Edmonton Police Service is now live, with the commission outlining the qualities needed for the position.

It says the new chief must be “visible, empathetic, and strategic” to ensure “modern, transparent, and fiscally responsible policing for Edmonton.”

“This includes advancing data-informed decision-making, demonstrating clear public value for budgetary investments, and guiding the EPS toward innovative, responsive models of community safety,” the commission wrote in the posting.

It adds the chief will play a “central role in shaping a safe, inclusive, and thriving city.”

“The chief is the operational leader of the EPS and is responsible for delivering high-performing, community-centred policing that builds and sustains public trust, enhances both actual and perceived safety, and reflects the evolving needs of a diverse and growing city,” the posting continues.

“The chief sets the tone for ethical, inclusive, and accountable leadership and must embody transparency, humility, and integrity in all internal and external interactions.”

The EPS force counts some 3,000 members — 2,000 sworn officers and 1,000 professional staff.

“If Edmontonians are not feeling safe, it has implications for us. Even though our statistics are showing that things are getting better,” said Ben Henderson, Chair of the Edmonton Police Commission.

Edmonton’s Police Commission surveyed citizens, city leaders, and EPS members about their priorities for the new chief. Public safety, transparency, and accountability topped the list, as well as consideration given for different voices, with different relationships to police.

“We made sure we talked to new immigrant communities, we made sure we talked to LGTBQ communities, we made sure we talked to the houseless community, we talked to the indigenous communities,” said Henderson.

But those who study policing say whoever the new chief is will have a lot of work ahead of them. 

University of Alberta criminologist Temitope Oriola was one of the people surveyed. He told CityNews that over recent years, with some high-profile police shootings and uses of force, he wants to see a new chief work to rebuild public trust. 

“One of the key tasks before the new chief will to be publicly engaged, and of course working to rebuild that confidence and trust withe public — I think that is absolutely crucial.”

He’s also pushing for the role of police chief to be free from politics. 

“It’s standard in certain sectors of the economy to sign an agreement, a clause in the contract,  that says, ‘you cannot seek employment in xyz for over a period of two to maybe five years.’ I think that’s a reasonable timeline. That protects the Edmonton Police Commission, the Edmonton city council for example so that the chief is fully concentrated in their current role.”

Two deputy chiefs, Devin Laforce and Warren Driechel, are currently interim chiefs of the EPS, working on rotating schedules. They have a combined 50 years of service with the EPS.

The EPC, a civilian oversight body, is responsible for appointing the chief of police, setting priorities, allocating the police budget and establishing policies. It says the job posting was informed by multiple surveys and more than 40 in-person engagement sessions with interested parties.

The job posting is available here.

-With files from Darcy Ropchan