The next chief of the Winnipeg Police Service can expect to earn more than $214,000 and lead nearly 1,960 full-time staff.
The search for Winnipeg’s next police chief is heating up after the city posted the position online Friday.
Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers said he’s a bit frustrated it has taken this long to reach this step in the nationwide search for applicants and he’s anxious to move forward. Chief Danny Smyth publicly announced his retirement plans in December 2023 and will officially leave Sept. 3. He’s held the post since 2016.
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Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers said he’s a bit frustrated it has taken this long to reach this step in the nationwide search for applicants and he’s anxious to move forward.
“It’s a critical moment for the City of Winnipeg and we’ve got to make sure that we hire the right person… to lead the organization,” said Chambers, during a phone interview from the Canadian Association of Police Governance conference in Halifax on Friday.
He linked the lengthy preparation time to extensive, but important, public consultations on the skills needed in the next leader.
“We went through a comprehensive process of engaging with communities to ensure that we’re meeting their needs, in terms of the characteristics of the chief of police, so that’s one of the things that we wanted to make sure that we got right,” he said.
Chambers said the feedback led recruiters to call for specific knowledge and skills in the successful applicant, including multiple measures aimed at supporting the city’s path to reconciliation.
“The chief of police is to be guided by the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the principles set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the calls for justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls when developing strategic advice and the business activities that support the strategic plan,” the job posting notes.
Chambers said public input highlighted a need for the next chief to be knowledgeable about the impact of policing on Indigenous people, since a large portion of Winnipeg’s population is Indigenous.
“(We need to make sure) the next chief of police… understands the needs of the Indigenous community and can work collaboratively with Indigenous leaders and with Indigenous populations,” said Chambers.
While he acknowledged the new police chief will receive one of the highest salaries of all city employees, possibly the highest, he said other factors could limit the number of applicants.
Recent calls to abolish police and growing police scrutiny could result in a smaller pool of qualified candidates, Chambers said.
“Whether it’s been in policing or police leadership, (recruitment) has been challenging over the past couple years, especially with (the death of) George Floyd. The perception of what policing is (changed),” he said.
Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police during an arrest in May 2020. Protests against police brutality followed around the world, including in Winnipeg.
Chambers believes social media posts, and some but not all mainstream media stories, have since helped fuel negative perceptions of policing.
“That’s part and parcel of the conversations that we’ve been having here at this (Halifax) conference. Why are recruitments for these positions so difficult to attract qualified individuals (to fill)? It’s a perception of policing,” he said.
The job posting calls for the next chief to have a minimum of 10 years of senior policing leadership experience and proven skills in “leading transformational change.”
“The candidate should also demonstrate proficiency in budget management, effective communication, and building strong relationships with various stakeholders,” it notes.
The successful candidate is also expected to communicate effectively and “foster trust and credibility in an environment of public scrutiny.”
The job posting notes the position offers a “competitive” salary range of $214,829 to $313,644, along with a “comprehensive” benefits and pension package.
The document tries to entice candidates to Winnipeg by describing the city as a “quirky, four-season city with something for everyone,” including tree-canopied neighbourhoods and relatively affordable homes.
Applications are due by Sept. 6. Chambers hopes the next chief can be named within the first two weeks of October.
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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