Lethbridge Police Chief excited about new opportunity

“I grew up in that area and there are some unique challenges right now in southern Ontario with respect to the drug crisis that’s moved from west to east, (plus) guns and gang violence. Just (with) my skill set and experience, I felt I could help be an impact on those (issues),” he told media on Tuesday, July 9.

“It’s been a great experience in Lethbridge and a lot of what I’ve experienced and learned here I can apply back in Ontario.”

He said he’s excited about making an impact for his friends, family and community in a place he’s known since his youth.

“Policing is very slow to change, so having implemented things here in Lethbridge, I’m confident it (police innovation) can work. We absolutely need to reinvent how we deliver public safety models in this country,” he said.

“Brantford is a very similar-sized police service, but I know the dynamics there from having grown up (there) so it’s an exciting opportunity to bring some ideas back and address some of the issues that Brantford is facing…that are impacting a lot of friends and family that I know in the area.”

Davis, who is the first Aboriginal police chief ever for the LPS, grew up in the Six Nations in the Brantford area. He said he has complete faith that the Blood Tribe and the entire Blackfoot community in southern Alberta is in good hands under its leadership.

“At the end of the day, I am from Six Nations, so my opportunity to be a part of those discussions at the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police excites me,” he said.

“This is such a critical time in our history of policing with Indigenous people, with the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) and now with the MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) recommendations, I really believe I can make an impact.”

Davis said he’s very happy with the work he’s done since stepping into his leadership role with the LPS in 2015.

“We broke the status quo. We rolled out The Watch, we rolled out the CPOs (Community Peace Officers), we created The Watch to give the community an opportunity to be a part of helping make the city safe,” he noted, touching on what he hopes residents remember him by.

“That goes back to the fundamentals of policing – that the police are the people and the people are the police. I hope people remember that, continue to embrace it and continue to be part of keeping Lethbridge safe.”

CONTROVERSY

Earlier this year, reports surfaced around a toxic work environment within the LPS, with David referred to as a “bully”. He spoke on that with media on Tuesday.

“With respect to the LPA (Lethbridge Police Association) and moral survey and that stuff, I mean, the public need not think too far back, it was a tactic done on the former chief. You look across the country, it’s a tactic being used fairly regularly, not just in policing – you look at some of the academic institutions across the country and some other professions,” he said.

“It’s a tactic of the times. People don’t like change and as a leader in an organization, you have to make tough decisions and unfortunately that may be a consequence sometimes. There are some lessons learned but all in all, it’s been a great experience.”

Davis added that he also welcomes all the ASIRT investigations that have occurred since he began his role as chief.

OPIOID CRISIS

He said that he’s had to tackle the opioid crisis in Lethbridge, and that’s something that’s also an issue in Brantford.

“When I talk to police leaders that I’m friends with in Ontario, the opioid crisis – beginning with fentanyl – it migrated from west to east. So, they’re sitting right now where we were roughly a year ago,” he said.

He said addressing the opioid crisis in Lethbridge will help him going into the Ontario community.

One takeaway Davis mentioned was that policing is “getting very young”.

“My generation is walking out the door. Policing is very young, and we need to embrace the skills young officers bring to the table, specifically with technology and the ability to multitask,” he said.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The chief said he’s noticed over the years how involved members of the community are in keeping the city safe.

“It’s been my experience in policing that we got through highs and lows where we think we can do it all,” he said.

“Lethbridge really reinforces that the public want to be involved, and it’s more than just lip service. The public want to be involved and they will actually step up to be involved in keeping the community safe. Again, through The Watch and different initiatives, that’s the big takeaway, is that the public want to be a part of the solution.”

He added that his departure is “definitely bittersweet” but the chance to serve close to home was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

Chief Davis’ last day with the Lethbridge Police Service will be September 30.

by Justin Goulet

Lethbridge Police Chief excited about new opportunity

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