Deputy police chief sworn in
The newly appointed deputy chief of Niagara Regional Police says his eyes are locked on his current duties, and not the position one rank above him.
“I didn’t come here to be chief. I came here to be deputy chief,” said Bill Fordy, who was officially sworn-in during an induction ceremony Wednesday afternoon at police headquarters in Niagara Falls.
Fordy, who left his RCMP post overseeing all operational and administrative functions in the lower mainland district of British Columbia to take his NRP job, arrives in Niagara at an unusual time.
The new deputy is taking his post as current Chief Jeff McGuire is setting away from his.
Last week, McGuire announced he is retiring from the NRP. His last day in uniform is expected to be next Friday.
During Fordy’s induction ceremony, police board chairman Bob Gale praised McGuire for having the “class” to announce his retirement last week and not stealing attention from Fordy’s swearing in.
Fordy was hired to replace former deputy chief Joe Matthews, and now Gale and the services board have to begin a search for a new top cop. Historically, deputy chiefs are strong candidates for promotion.
In an interview after the ceremony, Fordy said he is looking forward to fulfilling his duties as deputy and learning about Niagara. “I’m looking forward to working here and getting to know this community in a way that a chief of police needs to know the community they serve,” Fordy said. “There is another deputy chief here, as you know, and if the board decides to appoint (Deputy Chief Bryan MacCulloch) to chief, I would be honoured to work with him.”
Fordy, whose previous post required him to oversee a larger police service in a larger geographical area than Niagara — 13 RCMP detachments in 28 communities serving more than 1.8 million people — said he was content in B.C.
“I wasn’t looking for a change until the firm the (Niagara) police board had retained to search for candidates contacted me,” he said.
Although he had received offers from other services in the past, Fordy didn’t consider leaving the RCMP until he took a look at Niagara and the opportunity to be closer to the citizens he has sworn to serve.
“One of the things that happens when you are in an organization like the RCMP, is that the higher you climb in rank the more responsibility you have, and the more you become distanced from the day-today contact with people in the community that you serve. That work is done by people at lower ranks,” Fordy said. “I am really looking forward getting to know the people of this community.”
While he learns about Niagara and its people, Fordy said he believes his experience with the RCMP can benefit the region, particularly when it comes to the growing problem of fentanyl.
He said more than 900 people died in B.C. from fentanyl-related overdoses in 2016 and that number is expected to exceed 1,400 this year. While B.C. was hit the hardest by fentanyl deaths, the lethal opioid has spread across the country.
NRP officers responded to 12 fentanyl-related deaths in 2016 and three in 2017. However, police data only reflect circumstances in which fentanyl was confirmed as the source of the overdose or fatality, which can be difficult to ascertain when drugs are mixed, which is often the case with fentanyl. The data also does not capture fentanyl deaths when police were not called.
“It’s a problem both for the citizens of this country and for emergency responders,” said Fordy, referring to a growing concern among paramedics, police officers and firefighters about exposure to fentanyl when responding to calls.
“My approach here will be similar to what it was in B.C., which is to get ahead of this situation,” Fordy said. “That involves education. I have always believed you cannot arrest your way out of some of the social problems we face, and education is going to be vital when dealing with a problem like fentanyl.”