Mystery and delay surround selection of new Winnipeg police chief

Jeff Keele reports on the mystery and delay surrounding the selection of Winnipeg’s next top cop.

It’s unclear when the City of Winnipeg will have a new police chief.

Acting Chief Art Stannard has been filling in since former Chief Danny Smyth retired last September.

On December 6, Winnipeg Police Board Chair Markus Chambers indicated a successor had been chosen and that the announcement could be made as early as the following week.

But since then, Chambers says the board received new information that has led to a delay.

“The board is taking its time to review all of the information, and certainly there’s been some information that has come to us that we’re taking very seriously,” said Chambers.

Chambers could not provide a timeframe on when a decision could be made but did say because of the delay, the board is getting external legal advice to make sure it is following proper procedures and policies.

“We don’t want to embarrass the individual; we don’t want to embarrass ourselves,” said Chambers. “We want to make sure we’re doing everything that’s in accordance with the roles of the police service’s act and within our own rules as a police board.”