Features Dispatches
Dispatches: July/August 2024

Photo: LaSalle Police Service

After 33 years of service in law enforcement, Chief Duncan Davies of the LaSalle Police Service has announced that he will retire effective Oct. 1. Davies began his career as a constable with the LaSalle Police Service in 1996. He worked as a community patrol officer and was later assigned to the criminal investigation division. He completed his Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Windsor in 2006 and, in 2014, was promoted to Sergeant. Davies was promoted to Staff Sergeant in 2019 where he proved to be an integral part of the LaSalle Police Service administrative team. In 2021, Chief Davies competed against many other candidates for the position of Chief and was selected by the LaSalle Police Services Board to lead the Police Service.

Photo: CPKC Police Service

Al Sauve, chief of the CPKC Police Service – Canadian Pacific Kansas City (formerly CP Police), will retire effective Aug. 16 after 45 years of law enforcement. Sauve joined the Edmonton Police Service in 1979 and retired in 2005, and shortly thereafter, he became Alberta’s first Chief Sheriff. He retired from there in 2012 before being recruited by CP Police as a Commander for Alberta and B.C. He was promoted to deputy chief in 2014 and to chief in 2019. Sauve was inducted into the Her Majesty’s, Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2013 by then Governor General David Johnston and currently holds the O.O.M designation.

Photo: Saskatoon Police Service

Cameron McBride has been appointed chief of police for the Saskatoon Police Service for a five-year term. McBride has been a member of the Saskatoon Police Service since 1997 and has seen it grow, evolve, and strengthen in areas like diversity and equity. He recently led an in-depth review of each department within the police service to examine workload and capacity. Over the years, he has built strong relationships with many front-line community service organizations and has shown excellence in leading teams in several areas of the police service.

Photo: Chatham-Kent Police Service

Gary Conn has officially retired as chief of the Chatham-Kent Police Service, effective June 14. He was appointed to this position in 2015. In 1995, Conn began his policing career with the London Police Service, and in 1998, he joined the newly amalgamated Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS). Over the course of his nearly 30-year career, Conn has had the privilege of working in many areas of policing, either in a direct or supervisory role. During his tenure as Chief of Police, he was known as a progressive and people-focused leader who championed change for many initiatives. Over the years, he has also worked in collaboration with the Board and Associations to increase and enhance wrap-around support and services for police personnel dealing with work-related operational stress injuries.

Photo: Chatham-Kent Police Service

The Chatham-Kent Police Services Board selected Kirk Earley to assume command as the new chief of the Chatham-Kent Police Service, effective June 15. Earley is a 27-year veteran and began his career with the Chatham Police Service as a special constable in 1997. In 1998, Earley was sworn in as a constable with the newly formed Chatham-Kent Police Service. Earley has spent time throughout his career in community patrol, training, community priority action teams, major crimes, and the intelligence section. He has also held various supervisory roles in each branch of the service, gaining extensive experience in a multitude of levels.

Photo: Brantford Police Service

Robert A. Davis has officially retired from the Brantford Police Service. Having joined the Brantford Police in Sep. 2019, Davis is the only Indigenous chief in Ontario to have served with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous police services, then eventually led a non-Indigenous police service. Arriving at a time when Brantford was experiencing a high rate of fatal overdoses and a downtown with significant issues, Chief Davis lobbied for and promoted a stratified approach to public safety, with a push to utilize resources appropriate to the need, including municipal by-law enforcement officers, private security, and Special Constables. Davis shared that he was moving on to other opportunities where he would continue to positively impact public safety. In May, Davis began transitioning responsibilities to Jason Saunders, who will serve as interim chief of police.

Photo: Brittani Schroeder

The Grande Prairie Police Service has sworn in its eighth officer and first female member. Cst. Brenda Tunke, a proud member of the Tsilhqot’in Nation in British Columbia, has nearly 15 years of experience as an officer with the Edmonton Police Service and moved to Grande Prairie in 2023. She has since served as a Community Peace Officer with the Municipal District of Greenview. Looking for a new challenge and opportunities to serve her community, she turned to GPPS and hopes to play a role in creating a police service Grande Prairie is proud to have, with a passion for increasing public security and safety.

PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS, RECOGNITION • If you have an officer in your agency recently promoted or retiring or an individual you wish to have recognized (major award or recently deceased), you can let Blue Line magazine know by emailing bschroeder@annexbusinessmedia.com.