REGINA – The Regina Police Service will be looking for their new top cop after Chief Troy Hagen announced his retirement.
On Thursday Chief Hagen announced that he will be retiring from the force by mid-August.
After deliberating on and off for about a year, Hagen says he was ready to make a decision.
“It was just time,” he said.
Hagen has served with the Regina Police force for the last 37 years and has been Chief for approximately nine of those years.
Vividly emotional when speaking to a room full of supporters including his wife and Mayor Michael Fougere, Hagen was unable to hold back tears.
He recounted that from the age of five, he knew he wanted to be a cop.
“I knew all through elementary school, I knew all through high-school,” he said.
“You know when you lose a leader like that after that many years, it’s bittersweet,” Fougere added.
Hagen acknowledged that he’s tried to be someone that is easy to work with and believes he is leaving the police service in great shape.
“I wanted to leave it [police service] in the best shape I could,” Hagen said
When asked what he believes his biggest accomplishment has been, Hagen said he couldn’t identify if there was any particular one.
Instead, he pointed to certain initiatives to address the problems facing at-risk community members and wants to see those programs continued and enhanced.
“I’m quite proud of what we’ve done with some of our initiatives to support marginalized kids and families. There just needs to be so much more work done.”
Meantime, according to the Fougere, a national search will begin in the next few weeks for Hagen’s replacement.
“We will be looking at people within the organization, outside the organization and we’re going to get the best person male or female.”
Hagen’s official last day won’t be for another few months, but after 37 years he says he’s looking forward to buying a new pair of golf clubs and spending time with the family.
With files from Global Regina’s Brandon Gonez.