Calgary has a new chief of police.
Chief Const. Mark Neufeld, a 24-year member of the Edmonton Police Service and former Camrose police chief, will replace Roger Chaffin as Calgary’s top cop.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Calgary Police Commissioner chair Brian Thiessen will publicly introduce Neufeld on Tuesday morning.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Calgary Police Service – a highly respected organization comprised of great people in a beautiful city,” Neufeld said in a statement. “Working together, we will create a safe, respectful and inclusive culture where people come first.”
Neufeld currently serves as the president of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, as well as leader of the Women in Policing committee and chair of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s board of directors.
Neufeld’s laurels include the Order of Merit for Police Forces, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, a Police Exemplary Service Medal and a Leadership Excellence Award from the province of Alberta.
Calgary police also note that “Neufeld is well and positively connected within police circles provincially, nationally and internationally,” holding a Masters in criminology from the University of Cambridge and having experience working on G-8 and G-20 summits, Stanley Cup and Grey Cup deployments and the 2006 playoffs riot in Edmonton.
“Mark Neufeld is one of the most respected, experienced and educated police leaders in Alberta,” Thiessen said in a statement. “We set the bar very high, calling for a progressive, experienced team builder and expert communicator who acts with the highest level of respect, fairness and compassion. Incoming Chief Neufeld checks all those boxes.”
Neufeld is expected to begin work as chief of police by June.
This marks the months-long process of searching for a new chief the Police Commission started in July 2018, after Chaffin announced his resignation.