Chief of Police
Waterloo Regional Police Service

General Context

To ensure that Boyden had an accurate understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) and its next Chief of Police, a significant number of stakeholders were consulted for their input. These consultations were also essential in helping to create the Position Profile that defined the requisite qualifications, experiences, and leadership attributes to be assessed in candidates.

An excellent opportunity to engage the community to help inform the recruitment, a broad cross section of internal and external stakeholders were recommended for inclusion in the process. The stakeholders were separated into three distinct groups:

• Internal Stakeholders
• External Partners & Stakeholders
• Community Stakeholders

Each group was asked to address a series of questions sent in a custom online survey link. Stakeholders were also encouraged to share the survey link with anyone they felt appropriate. A link to the survey was also placed on the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board website so that any member of the public could provide their thoughts.

Boyden received hundreds of responses to the survey links. We have created an Executive Summary detailing the key themes articulated by respondents.

Executive Summary

The feedback received from respondents was consistent, constructive and by and large, complimentary. The consensus among stakeholders is that the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is a progressive, well respected, and well led police service that is highly engaged in the communities it serves. WRPS is thought to be well funded, provides high quality policing services and strives to be responsive to changes in community need.

The challenges before WRPS and its next Chief seem to align with those faced by many services across Canada: the need to demonstrate value for money in a climate of financial austerity and calls to de-fund police, the need to address issues of anti-racism and inequity both within the service and within the communities it serves, and to ensure that the Service continues to partner effectively in order to combat growing social issues such as mental health and addictions, homelessness and a lack of affordable housing, and a plethora of issues related to social justice. Though none of these challenges are particularly unique to the Region of Waterloo, the fabric of the Waterloo Region itself was described as bringing its own inherent challenges as an overlay to these more systemic issues.

The Region of Waterloo is seen as a prosperous and rapidly growing municipality offering a high quality of life to its ever more diverse population of residents. This diversity will require a commitment to, and demonstration of, heightened cultural and racial sensitivity by WRPS and its next Chief. It is believed that the Service will need to deepen its ongoing efforts to engage with ethnic and minority groups across the Waterloo Region, many of whom seem keen to enhance the strength of their relationship with the Service and to see themselves better reflected within it. The Waterloo Region’s population growth also comes with it a belief that the Region has, and will continue to experience, rising levels of “big city” crime such as guns & gangs, drugs & sexual trafficking, and organized crime. This upward trend in crime severity will require the Service to remain vigilant and responsive as it engages in collaborative solutions development across the urban and rural landscape represented in the communities it serves.

A particular point of strength noted by stakeholders of all types is the belief that internally, the culture of the Service is seen to be a strong and positive one. However, ensuring that resources and training continue to evolve to meet community needs will be key, particularly in recognition of the increasingly complex community dynamics that the Service must navigate. This reality, in combination with the departure of the Service’s highly regarded previous Chief Bryan Larkin, has resulted in a sense that despite its positive culture, the morale of the Service may be at a low point compared to the past. WRPS’ next Chief is therefore described as needing to be a servant leader and true team player who will be inclusive, empowering, and will communicate authentically and transparently at all levels. The new Chief will need to establish trust and confidence quickly while inspiring members to find creative ways to address the many operational, fiscal and systemic challenges facing the Service. A community builder by nature, the WRPS’ next Chief should be a transformational leader and catalyst for change who is by nature collaborative, transparent and open minded. WRPS’ next Chief needs to be a progressive leader who displays passion and skill for engaging with the community to ensure that the Service remains agile and aligned with the Waterloo Region’s exciting future of change and growth.