Rod Knecht, the new chief of the Edmonton Police Service was officially sworn in at Edmonton City Hall on Tuesday.
More than 300 dignitaries were on hand for the ceremony, including EPS members, RCMP officers, Premier Stelmach, and Mayor Mandel.
The Mayor says he’s ‘elated’ to have Knecht on board as the new chief of the EPS, saying "This is a great day."
The new chief comes from the RCMP, and according to the mayor, brings with him great leadership skills and 34 years of police experience.
Chief Knecht comes in as the leader at a time when Edmonton is facing a spike in homicides. Just six months into the year, the city has already recorded 25 homicides.
The new Chief says his first priority will be to tackle growing concern over the homicide rate.
"I’m obviously aware of the number of homicides, that’s something I’ll be focusing on immediately." he said.
The new chief’s first day of work was Monday, June 6th.
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