Calgary’s new interim police chief, Katie McLellan, officially took charge of the force on Wednesday following the surprise resignation of former chief Mark Neufeld on Friday, May 2.
McLellan, who met with the media on Wednesday afternoon to talk about her priorities and challenges, also announced the surprise “retirement” of CPS deputy chiefs Chad Tawfik and Raj Gill on Wednesday.
They will be replaced by Supt. Cliff O’Brien and Supt. Asif Rashid, who have both been promoted to deputy chiefs effective on Monday.
While McLellan refused to comment on the reasons for the former chief or deputy chiefs’ departure, she did wish Neufeld well.
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“Of course, I’m sad to see him go. He was my boss. He was supportive of me and just recently extending my contract last year. And so he did amazing things for this service,” said McLellan.
“Other than that, I am not able to share anything, but we had a great relationship.”
One of McLellan’s biggest challenges will be to improve morale after her predecessor’s time as chief was plagued with reports of very low morale.
A report from the Calgary Police Commission last year said 75 per cent of CPS employees had concerns about morale on the force and almost half said their personal morale was low.
“Things like that don’t change overnight, and we will continue to work at that,” said McLellan. “We will continue to create a workplace where people want to come to work, where they feel valued, where they feel appreciated — and we will continue to listen and learn.
“We’ll roll up our sleeves, we’ll be at the table. We may have some differing of opinions, but people will be heard and their voices will be hard. I would say that every day we strive to do better and there’s always room for improvement.”
Another of the big challenges McLellan said she hopes to address is “resource shortages across the service, particularly on the front line.’
McLellan, who was sworn in during a private ceremony with family and friends, began her career with the Calgary Police Service as a summer student in 1986.
She had been a deputy chief since 2019 and becomes the second woman to serve as chief — the first was Christine Silverberg, who headed up the force between 1995 and 2000.
Because of the busy summer ahead, the Calgary Police Commission said it will not immediately begin looking for a new, permanent chief.
“The coming weeks and months are significant for our city as we prepare to welcome leaders into Alberta for the G7 Leaders Summit and prepare of course for our annual Calgary Stampede,” said McLellan.
“Our service has been working closely with our partners to plan for both events and this work will continue without interruption.”
While the Police Commission has referred to McLellan’s appointment as “a new chapter,” it said it also wants to take time to consult with the community and with other CPS members “on what should be sought in a future chief.”
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