After almost seven years on the job, the chief of the Halifax Regional Police is set to step down next month.
As the police force prepares to move on without him, Blais sat down with Global News anchor Sarah Ritchie to discuss his time as the head of the HRP
Blais says that his time in the role has come to an end, that the era of police chiefs serving for 10 or 15 years is long gone, and that it’s important to get “new blood” in the role.
READ MORE: Report on Halifax police street checks to be made public Wednesday
The chief’s tenure has been marked by three major incidents: The discovery that thousands of drug exhibits were missing from the police evidence lockup, discussions over the controversial role of street checks in department policy, and Blais’s decision to come forward and speak about the effects of PTSD on him personally.
Blais said that he’s satisfied with how the missing drug exhibits were handled with an audit report indicating the exhibits were likely destroyed and not misappropriated but says things can be improved.
“I am very confident that we have tightened up all the processes that are there, now we have to take a look at our regular exhibits that we have and I’m not sure we are where we should be,” he said, pointing to the fact that the HRP is housed out of a station that was meant for a force a quarter of its current size.
“We have a building not suited for its needs and processes that we need to bring up to date and we are definitely working on that.”
WATCH: Chief Jean Michel Blais announces retirement
Blais stressed that the force should be confident in their current record-keeping practices.
He says that the police and the Halifax Regional Municipality began the process to find a new home in 2014 for the force in order to help alleviate their issues.
“It is on the radar screen for council and for the organization,” he said, saying there should be a new building within the next decade.
“One thing is for certain, I won’t see a new building.”
Blais admits that he never thought his decision to become the “poster boy” for living with PTSD, which developed after serving three UN tours in Haiti, would move the discussion on mental health among first responders.
But he says he’s happy he did.
“We were very fortunate. We had some great support from the board of police commissioners and from council to get a wellness co-ordinator and that has been an invaluable resource,” he said.
“I see that as a bit of a legacy piece for myself.”
He says the decision to move forward with that was not his alone. He thanked officers within the force for their efforts.
“There is a lot more work to be done,” Blais admitted.
READ MORE: Mental health class now part of training for Halifax police officers
One of the final things that Blais will oversee is a report on the controversial practice of street checks.
Street checks refer to the police technique of stopping people when no specific offence is being investigated, questioning them and recording their information.
Halifax police say street checks are used to record suspicious activity. Although police stop and question people, the checks can also be “passive” with information recorded based on observations rather than interactions.
Advocates of police street checks say they help law enforcement gather intelligence and improve public safety, while opponents say they target black people and violate human rights.
A report that will investigate the crime-fighting potential of police street checks and weigh it against the possible negative impact on racialized communities will be presented at the Halifax Public Library on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
WATCH: Jean-Michel Blais on street checks and becoming the face of PTSD
Blais says he is looking forward to the report, prepared by Scot Wortley, a University of Toronto criminology professor and researcher on race and crime.
“It’s our hope that it’s not only going to be talking about street checks but also talking about ways of improving — from an outside perspective — the relationships we have with not only African Nova Scotians but other racialized communities.
Blais, who has served since Oct. 11, 2012, will end his term on April 12, 2019.
Deputy chief Robin McNeil will then take over as acting chief until a new permanent chief is selected.
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