City of Kingston swears in first female chief of police

On Friday afternoon, the city of Kingston officially instated its first female police chief.

“It’s a great time to be chief,” Antje McNeely said after her swearing-in ceremony on Friday afternoon at Kingston City Hall.

When asked about breaking barriers as the first woman to take the role, McNeely brushed away the distinction.

“It’s great to be a role model, but it’s great to be a role model for everyone.”

Not only was this the first time a woman was appointed as chief of police in the city, but it was also the first time the police services board chose from within for the position.

Former chief Gilles LaRochelle, who originally came from Ottawa, retired in mid-July after serving five years in the position. Larochelle was there to pass the baton to McNeely on Friday.

“Larochelle has been a good mentor for myself,” McNeely said of her old boss. “I learned a lot of leadership traits from him and I wish him all the best in his retirement. He deserves it.”

Although Larochelle didn’t immediately announce his successor when he retired, it came as no surprise when McNeely clinched the role as chief in September. McNeely has been with Kingston police for 33 years, and has been deputy chief since 2011.

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Going forward, the new chief said she wants to focus on the force’s business plan, looking into “organizational resilience and individual resilience.”

She also mentioned information management as another big issue for the force, as well as the opioid crisis, and as always at this time of year, budgeting was top of mind as the city’s fiscal year comes to a close.

All in all, McNeely said she wanted to have an open-door policy with Kingston police force, and that communication would be key in her coming years as chief.