Edmontonians will soon learn who the city’s new chief of police is.
The Edmonton Police Commission officially posted the job in June, saying it was looking for the best candidate to lead the Edmonton Police Service as it continues to build on its successes, improve public safety and strengthen community connections throughout the city.
The commission said it used multiple surveys and more than 40 in-person engagement sessions to help inform the job posting.
The chief is the operational leader of the EPS and in addition to being responsible for delivering high-performance policing, also sets the tone for ethical, inclusive, and accountable leadership.
The commission said the chief must embody transparency, humility, and integrity in all internal and external interactions.
Once a candidate is selected by the commission, the Police Act requires council to ratify the board’s choice for the next chief.
The commission said it will present its selection for the next chief of police to city council for ratification on Friday.
The Commission will make a public announcement following that council meeting.
A news conference will be held Friday at noon, where commission chair Ben Henderson is set to introduce the 24th chief of the EPS.
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Global News will livestream that news conference in a video player at the top of this page.
Since February, two EPS officers have been sharing the role of interim police chief: deputy chief Devin Laforce and deputy chief Warren Driechel.
They’ve been switching in and out of the role on a monthly basis.
Driechel began his career with the EPS in 1997 as a patrol office with North Division.
Throughout his career, he led and developed several police intelligence units and programs, worked in organized crime and gang investigations, provided expertise in recruit training and spearheaded changes in data organization and technology development.
Laforce joined the Edmonton Police Service in 1999 as a patrol officer in the West Division.
Over the years, police said he has led critical investigative and operational initiatives, focusing on intelligence-led policing, major criminal investigations, and forensic advancements.
Last fall, the previous chief of police announced he was leaving the force, and then a month later the Alberta government revealed it had hired him as the premier’s top bureaucrat.
Chief Dale McFee has announced his retirement in November, after being the city’s top cop for five years.
In February, McFee became the deputy minister of executive council and head of the Alberta Public Service.
McFee was the former chief of police in Prince Albert, Sask., and the former president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. He has also served as the deputy minister of Corrections and Policing in Saskatchewan.
McFee replaced previous police chief Rod Knecht, who served from 2011 to 2019.
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