Darcy Fleury, who used to work for the RCMP in Edmonton, will become the new chief of police in Thunder Bay on April 17
The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) has named an RCMP commander from Edmonton to take over a troubled police force in northwest Ontario that has been in the middle of several scandals over the past year.
In a news release on Tuesday morning, the Thunder Bay Police Services Board said that Darcy Fleury will start as chief designate on April 17, and a change-of-command ceremony will take place on May 15.
Sylvie Hauth, the city’s last full-time chief, retired in January while she was on suspension. She quit her job just before she was supposed to go to a hearing under the Police Services Act because of allegations of professional misconduct.
Fleury will step in for Dan Taddeo, the acting chief since last summer.
Fleury is the RCMP’s chief superintendent for the Central Alberta District and is based in Edmonton. The Thunder Bay police board said that he has a lot of experience in investigating, running, and running the police department. He has also worked in the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, and Alberta during his career.
The board said that Fleury is Métis and that his father helped start the Manitoba Métis Federation.
I know that there have been some problems inside the organization and that there have been a number of complaints. Internal investigations are still going on.– Darcy Fleury will be the next police chief of Thunder Bay.
Fleury said in an interview with CBC News on Tuesday that he has been following the TBPS and the challenge it has been facing for years. One of his top goals will be to get people to trust him again.
“I know that there have been a number of complaints and that internal investigations are going on,” Fleury said about the organization. “I can’t wait to hear all about how that’s going.
“I do know that the public has been worried about the police service’s reputation and how they do their jobs. So I think that building trust is one of the most important things to do.
“We have to work really hard with the communities, be a part of the communities, and get out there.”
Fleury said that public town hall meetings will be a part of this plan.
Fleury also said that building good relationships with the city’s Indigenous community will be a priority, and he plans to meet with Indigenous people and groups often.
“I think that some of the First Nations communities near Thunder Bay would be happy to sit down and talk about where we are as a police force and how we can better serve the people who actually live in Thunder Bay.”
Service is having some serious problems
Hauth’s term was full of problems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of human rights complaints, serious morale problems among officers, and several damning reports that found evidence of systemic racism within the force and detailed serious flaws in investigations into the deaths of Indigenous people in Thunder Bay over the last 20 years.
Indigenous leaders have also made strong calls for the entire service to be dissolved, and there are suggestions to reinvestigate the deaths of 14 Indigenous people and review the police service’s case file management system.
The administrator Malcolm Mercer is still in charge of the police services board. He has the only vote on the board. His term has just been extended to March 20, 2024.
In a statement, Mercer said he was sure Fleury would “meet the key challenges of building and rebuilding relationships in the Thunder Bay community and region.”
Fleury said that guns, gangs, and the illegal drug trade are his main concerns when it comes to law enforcement in Thunder Bay.
“When I go there, I’d like to find out what they are planning at the moment. I have some experience managing projects, so I’d like to see what they’re doing and how they’re doing it to see if we can move it along.”
Fleury said that internal strife in the police service is also a worry, but he thinks that his “very open” management style will help.
Fleury said, “I always try to create a learning environment where everyone takes responsibility for their roles, and we help them grow into those roles so they know how to be effective leaders.” “I still worry about it, and once I’m in the position, I’ll have to look at it very closely.”