Gordon Cobey points to “community” as the key theme of his policing career so far, and one he hopes to bring to Guelph as the new chief of police.
The former RCMP officer, sworn in during a ceremony on Thursday afternoon, said community includes both the community officers serve and their own internal policing community.
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“I believe anyone who works in policing would agree that we exist to serve our community and earn their trust,” he said.
Cobey was previously sworn in on March 1 in a private ceremony, but on Thursday he addressed over 100 police officers from Guelph and around the province, along with several dignitaries, community partners, and his friends and family.
It was announced in January he would be named the 14th chief of Guelph police, trading in his Mountie red for the blue uniform municipal officers wear.
He had been a member of the RCMP since 1993, beginning with postings in rural communities and remote areas of northern Manitoba before moving to Ontario.
Cobey has lived in Guelph for many years with his wife Louise and their three children.
“One of the rules we always had was I was allowed to do anything I wanted at work but we were never leaving Guelph,” he said.
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Cobey replaces the retiring Jeff DeRuyter, who was named Guelph’s top cop in 2015 and announced he was leaving late last year.
Along with DeRuyter, five other former police chiefs were in attendance, including current Waterloo police chief Bryan Larkin and Bill McCart, who served as Guelph’s police chief over 30 years ago.
“They all contributed in a different way,” DeRuyter said. “As I started my leadership journey and looked at the qualities they had, I sort of picked and chose, but I really respect what’s involved in leadership.”
Cobey thanked DeRuyter and other officers who have helped in his transition from the RCMP to Guelph police chief.
He admitted he will blatantly steal DeRuyter’s habit of carrying around a copy of the Police Services Act to meetings.
“It’s not a prop for Jeff. I believe it’s a symbol of the integrity and the passion and the commitment he brings to doing the right thing,” Cobey explained.
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Like every other police chief, Cobey will be faced with challenges and among them are Guelph’s homelessness and opioid crisis.
He said success can be achieved when the community works together.
“I look forward to working with our community, our members and all of our partners,” Cobey said. “As an organization, we will strive for excellence and will work diligently to earn your trust.”
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