Features Editor’s Commentary
Reflecting on decades of Canadian policing

We are celebrating Blue Line’s 35^th birthday, and everyone is invited to the party!

Anniversaries are a great time to reflect on our progress, but they are also an excellent opportunity to consider our future. What started as a small print magazine created in the basement of founder and former publisher Morley Lymburner, has grown into a Canadian policing industry staple. Blue Line is the country’s only national law enforcement magazine, and it has progressed to include more than just a digital rendering of the print edition—it expanded to include newsletters, podcasts, webinars, social media, virtual and in-person events, and more.

In this anniversary edition, we dive into the last 35 years of policing history in Canada. I had the pleasure of speaking with police leaders nationwide to discuss pivotal changes that have shaped the policing landscape. Through meaningful conversations with Chief Julie Chanin (Oak Bay Police Department), Chief Fady Dagher (Montreal Police Department), Chief Myron Demkiw (Toronto Police Service), Commissioner Mike Duheme (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), Chief Cheryl Gervais (Treaty Three Police Service), Chief James Killeen (UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service), Deputy Chief Treena MacSween (London Police Service), Chief Mark Neufeld (Calgary Police Service), Chief Adam Palmer (Vancouver Police Department), and Chief Danny Smyth (Winnipeg Police Service), I heard anecdotes from their early careers and reviewed with them the differences between policing in the late 1980s and present day. We explored how Canadian communities have evolved over the last three decades, and how that has impacted police and their operations. Their insights on the future direction of policing can also be found in the full story, which you can find on page 10.

Anniversaries are a great time to reflect on our progress, but they are also an excellent opportunity to consider our future.

Further exploring the topic of the future of policing, several municipalities across Canada have contemplated transitioning from RCMP services to municipal police departments over the past few years. Grande Prairie, Alta., embarked on this journey in 2023, and there has been significant progress since then. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit northern Alberta to observe firsthand the developments within the new police service. You can read about my experience with the Grande Prairie Police Service and their hopes for the future on page 20.

It is a privilege to be Blue Line’s editor and to work with all of you throughout the year to share what’s been happening in the Canadian law enforcement industry—the challenges and the triumphs. Putting together this edition has been enlightening and fulfilling, and I hope to offer you some insight into our collective evolution over the past few decades.

As always, please reach out to me at any time if there is a topic you think we should discuss, a new program your police service has started, or an officer you believe should be highlighted. I can be reached at bschroeder@annexbusienssmedia.com.

Until next time, happy reading and be well.