After sudden departure, Mark Neufeld lauded, roasted for his time as Calgary's police chief
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Mark Neufeld's tenure as Calgary police chief was both praised and slammed by those who've closely watched his performance as the city's top cop.
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Neufeld abruptly resigned Friday after serving as chief since 2019 despite having two years remaining on his contract, and gave no reason for his departure.
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Members of the Calgary Police Commission either didn't return calls about his exit or said they couldn't divulge the reason for it due to it being a personnel issue and thus confidential.
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'When it comes to his choice of career, it's very private and confidential,' said Terry Wong, a member of the commission and Ward 7 city counsellor.
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But Wong said Neufeld led the CPS through 'a number of different challenges' and will be remembered as someone who strengthened its diversity and inclusion.
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'He inspired and the message he delivered to (CPS) cadets was that the future of policing should be one of diversity and that policing is about being respectful to the community,' said Wong.
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Some have questioned the timing of Neufeld's exit, particularly since it comes just six weeks before the start of the G7 gathering at Kananaskis that brings with it the need for major security measures.
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But Wong said those security preparations are now well-along.
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'You have to appreciate a lot of that planning's been done,' he said.
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Neufeld took the helm of the police department in June 2019, replacing former chief Roger Chaffin, who had retired that January. Before Neufeld's arrival in Calgary, he was a 24-year veteran of the Edmonton Police Service and had served for two years as chief of the Camrose Police Service. He also spent time with the Vancouver Police Department, where he began his career in 1992.
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Neufeld also served as president of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, was chair of the ALERT board of directors, and was a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police board of directors.
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His contract as CPS chief was extended by three years in 2023, taking that pact to 2027.
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Former deputy chief Katie McLellan has been appointed as interim chief, effective immediately, according to the police commission.
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McLellan first joined CPS in 1987 and spent the first 13 years of her career working in front-line areas.
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The commission said it won't immediately embark on finding a permanent replacement for Neufeld, due to a number of high-profile policing events coming to Calgary and area, including the G7.
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Neufeld was successful in handling issues of internal gender-based harassment, a festering issue that contributed to his ascending to the CPS helm, said Mount Royal University criminologist Doug King.
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