EDMONTON — The police chief in Alberta's capital is planning to retire in February.
The Edmonton Police Commission says it would determine the hiring process for Dale McFee's replacement in the coming months.
McFee was sworn in as Edmonton's 23rd police chief five years ago.
He delivered a formal apology to members of the LGBTQ+ community in 2019 for past treatment by the service.
The police commission says it hired McFee to make changes.
It says shortly after he was sworn in, he undertook a review to reimagine the force as a public service, balancing traditional law enforcement with community safety and well-being.
McFee told The Canadian Press in a 2023 interview that the force managed to strike a balance between protecting the vulnerable and holding people accountable in the first few years of his tenure. But he said the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing mental health crisis disrupted those efforts.
In a Wednesday statement, McFee thanked the commission for fighting alongside the service "through some tumultuous times."
"Together we have been impatient for progress but steadfast in a shared belief about the EPS and the community we serve," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2024.
The Canadian Press