Calgary, AB,
18
March
2019
|
13:20
America/Denver

CALGARY POLICE COMMISSION APPOINTS NEW POLICE CHIEF

The Calgary Police Commission has appointed Mark Neufeld, M.O.M., as the city’s new Chief Constable following ratification of the appointment by Calgary city council.

Incoming Chief Neufeld is a respected leader in policing in Alberta, having spent 24 years with the Edmonton Police Service, and two years as Chief of the Camrose Police Service. He is currently the President of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, a leader of its Women in Policing committee, and Chair of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) provincial board of directors.

In addition to 21 formal recognitions earned while working for the Edmonton Police Service, he has been appointed to the Order of Merit for Police Forces, and received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, a Police Exemplary Service medal, a Leadership Excellence Award from the Province of Alberta, and the Integrity Award from Rotary International.

It was incoming Chief Neufeld’s well-rounded career that elevated him above all other candidates. The Commission saw a people-first leader with decades of achievements building the resilient, high-performance cultures critical to enhancing community safety. He has also supplemented his accomplishments in policing with a Master’s degree in criminology and police management from Cambridge University.

The Commission recommended this appointment to city council after completing a competitive national search. Part of the process involved extensive engagement with the citizens of Calgary, CPS staff and key partners to ensure that those who have a stake in the safety of the community could share their thoughts on the skills and characteristics desired in a new Chief Constable.

Incoming Chief Neufeld will begin the position no later than June.

Quotes:

Brian Thiessen, Calgary Police Commission Chair

“The Commission conducted an extensive national search and found a gem in our own backyard. Mark Neufeld is one of the most respected, experienced, and educated police leaders in Alberta. We set the bar very high, calling for a progressive, experienced team builder and expert communicator who acts with the highest level of respect, fairness, and compassion. Incoming Chief Neufeld checks all those boxes. We are confident that he is the right person to lead CPS into the future.”

Mark Neufeld, Incoming Calgary Police Service Chief Constable

“I am thrilled to be joining the Calgary Police Service – a highly respected organization comprised of great people in a beautiful city. Working together, we will create a safe, respectful, and inclusive culture where people come first. Our collective efforts will have a strong and positive impact on the communities we are so privileged to serve.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi

“The Chief sets the leadership for a service that does great work, builds communities for all Calgarians, and provides meaningful careers for all its members. I know that the Calgary Police Commission had all of this in mind in making this choice and I look forward to working with the new Chief to strengthen the service and keep us all safe.”

BACKGROUNDER

Biography – Incoming Chief Mark Neufeld

March 18, 2019

Incoming Chief Neufeld believes strongly in providing top-quality police service to the community through professionalism, innovation, and inclusive leadership that is supportive of employees. The women and men - both sworn and civilian - who deliver frontline police service have been particularly special to him throughout his career and his priority is to serve and protect not only the community, but also those who commit themselves to serving and protecting the community.

Neufeld joins the Calgary Police Service after two years as the Chief of the Camrose Police Service, a smaller community that gave him the opportunity to build strong partnerships with staff and residents to improve quality of life in the city.

Neufeld is well and positively connected within police circles provincially, nationally, and internationally. He is currently Interim President of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, Chair of the ALERT board of directors, and a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police board of directors.

Neufeld recently completed a Masters in criminology and police management at the University of Cambridge. He has also completed the CACP Executive Global Studies program, where he studied international approaches to cybercrime, and the International Executive Development in Policing program from the Canadian Police College and Hong Kong Police College. Upon completion, he was invited to join the faculty of this program where he led a syndicate of senior police leaders from both Canada and Hong Kong through the program.

In 1992, Neufeld’s police career began with the Vancouver Police Department. The illness of a parent brought him to the Edmonton Police Service the following year. He spent 12 years as a frontline patrol officer, including in Edmonton’s diverse inner-city where he worked with residents and community partners to address neighbourhood crime, disorder, and social issues.

He also has experience in undercover operations, incident command, crisis negotiation, and as a member of the EPS Public Order Unit working on the G-8 and G-20 summits, Stanley Cup and Grey Cup deployments, as well as the 2006 riot.

Neufeld was promoted to the role of detective in Internal Affairs in 2004 and to Staff Sergeant in the Intelligence Section in 2007. A secondment in 2007 brought him to the Province of Alberta where he successfully assisted with the implementation of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).

In 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Inspector and assigned to Professional Standards where he led the development of a strategic planning process that resulted in the restructuring of the branch, the civilianization of numerous investigative and administrative positions, and an increased emphasis on alternative dispute resolution and complaint prevention. Along the way, Neufeld made sure staff were actively engaged in setting direction and priorities. He celebrated successes and acknowledged the efforts of individuals and teams.

As an Inspector, he also spent time in the Human Resources Division where he developed a recruitment strategy for the police service before being seconded to ASIRT for a second time as the Director of Investigations.

In 2014, Neufeld was promoted to Superintendent, Criminal Investigations Division, where he was responsible for all EPS major and serious crime units, including homicide, missing persons, robbery, arson, sexual assault, child protection, domestic conflict, Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE), elder abuse, economic crimes, auto theft and support units including the Child at Risk Response Team (CARRT) and the Police and Crisis Team (PACT). In this role, he made it a priority to encourage strong working relationships between frontline officers and specialized investigative units.

Two years later, Neufeld moved back to operations as Superintendent of the Southwest Division, a large, diverse area of Edmonton that stretched from the University district to the southern city limits. In this role, he made a point of being visible, accessible, and approachable. He applied an approach to problem solving that involved encouraging open and honest conversations, and moved the division forward through patience, compassion and consistency.

Neufeld was invested as a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2014. He is also the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Police Exemplary Service Medal, and the Alberta Law Enforcement Long Service Medal.

He and his wife Lynn have four adult children. They are all active community volunteers, and together they enjoy fitness, travel, and friends.

Media Contact:

Calgary Police Commission

Lori DeLuca, Communications & Policy Director

Email: ldeluca@calgarypolicecommission.ca

Phone: 587-888-1345