EDMONTON- Edmonton’s Chief of Police, Rod Knecht, has signed a two and a half year contract extension.
The Edmonton Police Commission announced the extension at its public meeting Thursday night.
Knecht joined the Edmonton Police Service in June, 2011, with his initial contract set to expire in June, 2016.
“The Edmonton Police Commission appreciates the direction Chief Knecht has taken policing in Edmonton over the past two and a half years,” said Shami Sandhu, Chair of the Edmonton Police Commission. “He has demonstrated strong leadership and the Service has made significant advancements under his guidance. The extension of his contract will ensure consistency and stability as we move toward a safer Edmonton.
“We understand the challenging and unique environment of policing a city like Edmonton and believe that Chief Knecht will continue to make positive advancements in public safety.”
Sandhu credits Knecht for helping bring down the homicide rate the city saw two years ago. In 2011, there were 48 homicides in Edmonton.
“The work that he did with the violence reduction strategy, which continues today, has brought down the high homicide rate, in part. We’re quite pleased with the work he’s done.”
Knecht says he’s very pleased the Commission has chosen to extend his contract.
“I look forward to working with the Commission and the men and women of the Edmonton Police Service over the next several years,” he said. “Working together, we have made great strides over the past two and a half years towards our goal of making Edmonton the safest major city in Canada.”
Despite that hard work, both Sandhu and Knecht say there is still work that needs to be done, and that involves making sure the EPS has the resources to police the city.
“We presented a report to City Council- I did with the chief- a few months ago, asking for 35 new officers every year for the next five years. That’s barely going to get us to where we should be,” Sandhu explained.
Earlier this month, Knecht was one of 23 recipients of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. Knecht was awarded the medal by Governor General David Johnston.
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces was created to recognize exceptional service by members of Canadian police forces whose contributions extend beyond protection of the community.
The new contract extends Knecht’s position as chief until Oct. 31, 2018.