Top cop calls it quits
After five short but tumultuous years at the helm of the Niagara Regional Police, Chief Jeff McGuire is leaving.
The Regional Municipality of Niagara Police Services Board announced Friday that McGuire has chosen to retire at the end of his five-year contract, foregoing a three-year extension of his term in office. His last day will be July 14. McGuire declined requests for interviews Friday, following his announcement.
But in a media release, he called his past five years leading the police service an honour.
“I could not have succeeded in my role without the support, loyalty and friendship of my executive team and I thank them for welcoming me into this organization and supporting me throughout my tenure,” McGuire said. “I am very proud of all of the women and men of the NRPS, both civilian and sworn, and their commitment to making every community across the Region a safer place for all. I know they will continue to set the benchmark for professionalism, dedication and excellence for the delivery of policing services for years to come. I wish all members of the service and the board great success as they move forward.”
Niagara Regional Police Association president Cliff Priest said the chief’s “tenure here has been difficult at times, with a Police Services Board (PSB) that has not supported him or the members, especially regarding equipment or manpower that’s required.
“We appreciate his efforts at trying to ensure that adequate and effective policing is provided in this place and time when it appears there is more concern about money then providing the resources required to protect our citizens. He has done his best to provide that.”
Priest suspects that lack of respect may have influenced the chief’s decision to retire.
“If I was him, I would be totally frustrated. The PSB has not respected him,” Priest said. “He has never received the support that he should have from the PSB, which of course has a knock down effect on all of my members. If he can’t do his job properly, my people can’t do their job properly, which is to provide protection and safety for all the people in this region.”
Priest said the police services are being required to do more with less, including responding to people suffering from mental health issues which ties up “a vast amount of our resources.”
“The chief has been trying, but he’s been unable to get anywhere with this PSB to increase our strength. Is he frustrated? I would be. But I can’t talk for him.”
Board Chair Bob Gale did not return phone calls from The Standard Friday.
In the media release, however, Gale described McGuire as an “experienced, dedicated and visionary leader” and “one of the foremost police leaders in Canada.”
Regional Chair Alan Caslin said during McGuire’s time in Niagara, he has done a lot for the region, including working towards the development of the $65-million new police headquarters that opened in September.
“He did a lot of great things from a community perspective,” Caslin said. “He’s going to be sadly missed, but I wish him well in his retirement.”
In the announcement, the Niagara Police Services Board said it will meet shortly to discuss the recruitment of a new chief and who will cover the chief’s responsibilities in the interim.
But Priest was also concerned about the future of NRP leadership, particularly since the NRP also has a newly recruited deputy Chief Bill Fordy, who was previously the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner in lower mainland British Columbia.
“We hope there’s a good selection for a new chief and we hope that maybe like in some of the other services, they talk to the Association before they select a new chief to make sure everybody’s happy.”
Caslin said new leadership being recruited are “seasoned professionals.”
“They maybe not from Niagara, but they are seasoned professionals that are in these jobs. I’m comfortable that Niagara will have all the safety and security that it has always been used to with the new replacements coming in.”
As challenging as the chief’s job has been, Priest said it’s not likely to get any easier for whomever ultimately takes the helm of local police service.
“In the next two to five years in policing in Ontario, there is going to be more change than in the last 100 years,” he said.
“We have legalized marijuana coming, which will create a myriad of problems especially in regard to high-driving which is going to be a serious issue.”
He said there will also be changes to the Police Services Act, as well as an advisory committee looking at the future of policing.
McGuire has a 40-year career as a police officer and was acting deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service before being appointed Niagara’s chief on June 18, 2012.
He was the eighth police chief in the history of the Niagara Regional Police Service, replacing Wendy Southall who retired in 2012 after seven years as chief.