Police chief ready for ‘another chapter’
The Saskatoon Police Service will soon say goodbye to the man who has led the city’s law enforcement efforts for more than a decade.
Oct. 1 will mark Chief Clive Weighill’s last day on the job.
Weighill announced his pending retirement during a board of police commissioners meeting on Tuesday, telling reporters, “It’s time for me to start another chapter.”
Thanking past and present board members for their support, he said the work he did as police chief could not have been possible without the hundreds of staff members, sworn and civilian, working for the service.
“They’re an incredible group to work with. Very dynamic, very committed to the citizens of Saskatoon. So you put all of that together, I’ve just had a wonderful career here in Saskatoon,” he said.
While he has “no plans at all right now,” he doesn’t like to use the word retirement, he said. “I’ve got lots of energy left in me yet.”
Weighill, 63, said he thought about retiring for “three or four months,” discussed it with his wife following a recent holiday and determined the timing was right.
Weighill moved to Saskatoon from Regina in 2006 to take on the role of police chief. Prior to that, he rose through the ranks of the Regina Police Service, including a stint in crime prevention, after starting his career in 1975.
He was a corporal, then sergeant on the streets in the 1980s, transferred into criminal investigations (major thefts and break and enters) and later into commercial crime. In 1991, he became staff sergeant in charge of drugs and vice, was promoted to inspector and then watch commander before moving into administration. In 1997, he became deputy chief of the Regina force.
Weighill has been at the forefront of policing issues in Canada and was elected head of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in 2014. He has tackled and spoken on issues such as missing and murdered indigenous women, health services for people with mental illness, victims’ rights, the need for a national public safety broadband system and First Nations policing.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Weighill said his greatest accomplishments in the last 11 years included overseeing construction of the new police headquarters and working with the community to get a monument to missing and murdered indigenous women and girls installed in front of the building.
He said he was glad to be at the helm at a time when morale within the police service improved and crime in the city decreased.
“I came into an organization that was willing to change and as a chief coming in, when the organization, the people, want to change, you can make it happen. And I just came in at the right time,” he said.
Mayor Charlie Clark said the city has benefited greatly from Weighill’s time, noting he came on board as chief not long after the inquiry into the death of Neil Stonechild.
“There were really issues of trust in the community, in particular with First Nation and Metis communities, and I’m not saying those are all 100 per cent resolved as a community,” Clark said. “But there’s no question when you go out to events, when you talk to people about Clive Weighill … all different parts of the community speak about his leadership, about his ability to build those relationships, about his willingness to listen.”
Clark said it will be “very hard” to replace Weighill, but the foundation he laid during his time as chief will be instrumental in ensuring the police service continues to move forward.
“We’re going to need to take our time and figure out how to find who is going to fill those big shoes,” he said, noting Weighill’s consistent message that crime must be addressed at its root causes, including poverty, addictions and racism.
“You cannot arrest your way out of crime,” Clark said. “I really learned that from hearing the police chief speak, which is a testament to him, because you don’t often associate police chiefs with that message.”
In a news release, police commission chair Darlene Brander said all police members expressed their “sincere appreciation” for his work.
“We want to wish Clive the very best of luck. It’s a tough decision when it comes to retirements,” she said after Tuesday’s meeting. “Often retirements are one of the most important decisions you’re going to make in your lifetime.”
She said the board will start the process to replace Weighill immediately, noting these types of vacancies “don’t fill themselves,” but with the new headquarters, strong community support and solid foundation of leadership the service is “in a really good position” to find the right person.
Weighill said he’s grateful for the faith his supporters put in him as chief, “But you know, everybody has their day and my day has come. I think I gave 110 per cent to Saskatoon in my tenure here as the chief and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it.”