With Police Chief Jim Chu set to retire this spring, the man who had a hand in hiring him in 2007 outlined the options for the Vancouver Police Board to consider in its search for a new chief, including the possibility of hiring a non-cop to lead the department.
Former mayor Sam Sullivan, who is now the Liberal MLA for Vancouver-False Creek, pointed to the RCMP’s decision in 2007 to hire career bureaucrat William Elliott as commissioner of the national force.
“There’s great advantages to that and great disadvantages, as well, because you might not get the buy-in from officers,” said Sullivan, who was mayor from 2005 to 2008 and doubled as chairperson of the police board. “So it can be done.”
Elliott was hired during a time of instability and low morale, and brought in by the Harper government to shake up what critics argued was an insular organization that needed an outside look. Elliott lasted four years before being replaced by Bob Paulson, a longtime RCMP officer who also served almost seven years in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Sullivan acknowledged the VPD isn’t in the same state as the RCMP, with Chu and his predecessor, Jamie Graham, bringing stability and a public profile to a department that has seen a succession of chiefs, including Bruce Chambers and Terry Blythe, whom former mayor Philip Owen once described as “behind the scenes guys.”
“The citizens want to have someone who is ultimately accountable and want the chief to have a decent public profile and to make statements and weigh in on what citizens are concerned about,” said Sullivan, who praised Chu for his leadership within the VPD and the work he did in the community, particularly in his efforts to listen to divergent groups that had issues with police. “It really is a challenging job where you’re juggling so many different interests and opinions and you’ve somehow got to bring everybody together — and Jim Chu did that. He’s been an outstanding police chief. He was one of our best hires.”
At a news conference last Friday to announce his retirement, the 55-year-old Chu made it clear that he wanted his successor to come from within the department, saying it would be a shame for “those talented senior executives” not to get an opportunity to lead the VPD.
Deputy Chief Doug LePard has said he’s considering applying for the job while deputy chiefs Adam Palmer and Warren Lemcke haven’t commented on speculation they will compete for the vacancy. The VPD’s highest ranking female officer is Supt. Michelle Davey but it’s unclear whether she will enter the race.
“The Vancouver police force does have some excellent people,” Sullivan said. “It’s a tribute to Jamie Graham and Jim Chu for cultivating excellence. So they don’t necessarily have to look too far.”
Added Sullivan: “But there is also an advantage to hiring [an officer] from outside to bring a whole new way of looking at things.
There might be a feeling at the board level that since they’ve had somebody inside for quite a while that they may want to look outside.”
Mayor Gregor Robertson, who is now the chairperson of the police board, said at the news conference that a Canada-wide search will be launched to find a new chief, although he recognized there are “some incredible candidates” within the department.
Robertson leads a board in which the majority of its members were appointed last year and represent a diverse range of interests and backgrounds, including a medical doctor, a former head of SUCCESS, a prominent member of the South Asian community, an expert in aboriginal relations and a cancer researcher.
As with other searches, the board will likely receive applications from officers working for the RCMP and at various departments in the Lower Mainland and across the country. A successor to Chu is expected to be named in the spring, although Chu has said he will stay on until a new chief is found.
mhowell@vancourier.com
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