The city’s incoming police chief took the job believing he can make a positive difference.
Darcy Fleury, the first external Thunder Bay police chief hire in 28 years, has been brought in to restore order to a police service that has been rocked by turmoil and turbulence in recent years, culminating with the suspension of their two top senior officers last year.
The chief-designate, who will be formally sworn in as chief next month, sat down for an extensive editorial board meeting with Dougall Media this week, where he outlined his vision and priorities for how he plans to lead the police service.
“I saw what was going on here a few years back, and thought, with my skills and my education and my background and what I’ve gained over the years and the knowledge I’ve gathered, I thought I could be of some use,” he said.
Fleury, a citizen of the Red River Métis and member of the Manitoba Métis Federation, has 36 years of policing experience, choosing to retire from the RCMP where he had been chief superintendent with the Central Alberta District based in Edmonton, to take the helm in Thunder Bay.
He wanted to be a police officer from the age of 10, drawing inspiration from a Mountie in his hometown that he found to be “very compassionate and outstanding as far as how he related to people.”
The chief-designate noted the social issues facing the city, highlighting the need to work with the best-suited community partners and agencies so they can be addressed outside of law enforcement and the justice system. He also spoke about the prevalence of out-of-town suspects being arrested on drug trafficking charges, identifying that as a priority.
Fleury is inheriting a police service that has lost the trust of Indigenous communities, with findings of systemic racism, as well as several cases involving the deaths of Indigenous people that were inadequately investigated.
Rebuilding that fractured relationship is vital, Fleury acknowledged, adding that he is committed to community engagement and gathering input. Fleury noted that he plans to host future townhall meetings, where he can hear firsthand from the grassroots of the community.
“What we’re going to do going forward — what we’re already doing — is a review of our policies and procedures to make sure if there is wording or guidelines that takes us in a path that could lead to that systemic racism, that we get rid of it,” he said.
“Any new policies that we bring forward, that we have consultation with our partners and stakeholders to make sure the wording of that doesn’t include something that could take us down the line of systemic racism.”
At multiple points in the conversation, Fleury emphasized his desire to create and foster a “learning environment,” describing his leadership style as one that promotes inclusivity, while believing in autonomy and creating a feeling of empowerment within the organization.
“Every case that we have that has a discipline situation also has to have a learning situation,” he said. “If somebody has done something wrong and there’s a learning possibility to deal with it, let’s try to go that route. Sometimes people are not bad, they just make bad choices. We need to make sure we’re doing that correctly so that we’re not just coming down with a hammer all the time.
“We do need to manage if they’re doing something wrong all the time — and it’s harmful and it’s hurtful and it’s meant to be — then we have to deal with that in a different way.”
Fleury is stepping into a workplace culture that Thunder Bay Police Association leadership had expressed concern about prior to predecessor Sylvie Hauth’s suspension and early retirement. A number of current and former frontline officers and civilian staff have filed human rights complaints against the force and the Thunder Bay Police Services Board.
After having his first day on the job last week, he expected that he has been able to meet and introduce himself to about half of the membership as the leadership transitions from acting chief Dan Taddeo to his command.
“I see a lot of dedication in this group. They want to serve the public the best they can,” he said.
“I’m very optimistic. I was aware of some of the situation out there and some of the public perception of what this organization is going through and what they have internally, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen so far and hope that with my leadership style that I can bring some more of that out of the people.
“My job is going to be giving them the tools they need to do the best they can and make sure they come to work happy.”
Describing policing as his passion, Fleury doesn’t believe he’s at the twilight of his career, despite the nearly four decades of service.
“I think I have the energy to be here as long as the community wants me,” Fleury said. “I’ll be here as long as I’m doing the good job that needs to be done and am progressing the department and got it to the point where there’s some sustainability.”
