Calgary police chief Roger Chaffin is retiring.
The chief made the announcement in a Calgary police news release on Tuesday.
“The decision is not based on any particular event or issue, but is made with the best interests of the service and Calgarians front of mind,” he said in the release.
Chaffin will officially retire on Jan. 6, 2019.
WATCH: Calgary Police Chief Roger Chaffin announces his retirement saying it was his decision.
He has been with the service for over 32 years.
“When I accepted the position three years ago, it was with a goal to provide long-term resiliency through modernization and an evolved model of policing,” he said. “With HR and financial reforms well underway, work being done to implement strategies and recommendations from Justice Wittmann’s use-of-force report, and a solid four-year business plan, the service is best placed for ongoing opportunities to thrive.”
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In a news conference on Tuesday, Chaffin added that with all the organizational changes that he helped put in place, now was the best time to move on.
He said sometimes, due to the nature of the job, it’s easy to focus on the negative aspects, rather than the positive side of things.
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Going forward, Chaffin said work will continue in implementing human resource reforms, particularly in the area of helping employees feel safe at work.
“We’re positioning ourselves for the future, not just the here and now.”
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During his tenure, Chaffin dealt with a record number of police-involved shootings in 2016. Allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual assault in the workplace were also brought to light when 13 current and former Calgary police employees submitted formal complaints to Chaffin.
“When we saw the people going through the challenges around workplace safety and workplace harassment … I was present in the workplace for all that,” Chaffin said. “You see that and it does make you wonder: how did that happen right in front of you and you didn’t see it, didn’t notice it and could you have done more?
“There has been some rocky days.”
WATCH: Retiring Calgary Police Chief Roger Chaffin says HR reforms are one of the biggest challenges for the organization moving forward.
A search committee will be in place by July 31 to find a new chief, Thiessen added.
“We will keep citizens and our partners informed as details about the process and the timelines become available,” he said.
With files from the Canadian Press
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