Changing of the guard: trio of new police chiefs has power to modernize the course of policing in Canada

Communities across the country are being ravaged by the opioid crisis; the healthcare sector is grappling with a steady and startling increase in mental health issues, particularly among youth; and the digital world has opened doors for new kinds of criminal activity that often span countries and continents. 

Stuck in the middle of it all are the police, whose traditional response to new crime issues is putting more boots on the ground — which has led to ballooning police budgets and unsustainable practices that often drive a wedge between officers and their communities.

---

Nishan Duraiappah in Peel and Peter Sloly in Ottawa are among the progressives recently named chiefs of major municipal police forces.

Their fresh perspectives could shake up entrenched police cultures that have created a divide between officers and the people they serve and lead to a more community-based approach to crime prevention.

Published on August 29, 2019 in The Pointer - Brampton