Halifax's new acting police chief focused on being a 'good listener'
CBC
Just days into his new job, Halifax's interim police chief says there are plenty of challenges on his plate — but he hopes to live up to the flood of "overwhelmingly positive" messages he's received so far.
Acting police Chief Don MacLean attended the city's Board of Police Commissioners meeting Wednesday evening for the first time in his new role.
MacLean will become the first Black police chief in the force's history once he's officially sworn in Thursday.
After serving in Halifax Regional Police (HRP) for the past 30 years, MacLean told the board he was "happy and humbled" to take the job.
"One of the main things I think you have to do in the next little bit is be a really good listener," MacLean said after the meeting.
That means listening to both the community and members of the force, MacLean said, adding he has already met with his senior team and the union representing most officers.
There are internal issues that have been "well publicized," MacLean said, a nod to last year's resounding vote of non-confidence in former chief Dan Kinsella by members of the police union.
"My message to people is I want you to show up. I want you to be present and I want you to do your very best, and if we can do those things, everything else will take care of itself," MacLean said.
"Obviously it's not as simple as that. There are challenges that are involved … but really at the end of the day, I think that if we look at it with that sort of mindset and frame that I think we can progress."
Cathie O'Toole, the municipality's chief administrative officer, said during the meeting she's feeling "very positive" that the team of Halifax city police, Halifax RCMP brass, board members and the community safety office, are the right people to move ahead with the strategic work that's coming up.
That includes how, or whether, to integrate the municipal and RCMP forces in Halifax, and implementing actions coming from the reports on defunding the police and the Mass Casualty Commission.
"I like the fact that we are starting off collaboratively afresh," O'Toole said.
MacLean will be in place to handle next year's police budget, details of which are already starting to come to the board.
On Thursday, municipal staff shared some big ticket items from the upcoming 2024-25 police capital budget, with $1 million going to fleet replacement.
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