Evan Bray retiring as Chief of Regina Police Service after 28 years with RPS
Evan Bray retiring as Chief of Regina Police Service after 28 years with RPS
Regina's Chief of Police Evan Bray has announced his retirement from policing, but said he plans to pursue other opportunities in the future.
Bray, who went public with the announcement on Twitter said he told the Board of Police Commissioners during a meeting on Tuesday.
“This is not a sad day, I’m excited,” Bray told media at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Regina Police Service (RPS), under Bray’s reign, got the ball rolling on several major projects including construction of a new headquarters and launch of a police plane. Bray believes now is a good time to step back.
“In the world of policing you’re never done, sadly. There’s always work to do,” Bray said.
“But right now just feels like a time where there are opportunities for someone new to step in and take it to the next level.”
Bray was named Regina’s Chief of Police in 2016 and has been a member of the RPS for 28 years.
Since 1995, Bray has been living out his childhood dream.
“I wanted to be a cop since I was five [years old],” he said.
“I grew up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan and that’s all I wanted to be.”
He’s served in various positions including patrol supervisor, detective corporal with serious habitual offenders, crisis negotiation team member, watch commander and inspector for the city’s North District.
Prior to policing, he made a career in broadcasting as a radio announcer and TV weather personality.
“It’s actually a more natural transition than you would think because policing is really about building relationships with community, communicating with community,” Bray said.
Regina mayor Sandra Masters said Bray’s commitment to the community and the relationships he’s built throughout his career made him a valuable leader.
“His ability to connect with community is outstanding. His ability to be present and engage and connect with people is something that I would personally look for in the next candidate,” Masters said.
Bray worked his way up in the ranks with a strong focus on community policing. He’s been president of the Saskatchewan Police Federation and serves on the Canadian Association Chiefs of Police Board. Masters said Bray is viewed as a preeminent expert on firearms in the country.
“We’re going to miss his leadership and his ability to make community connections,” she said.
In Bray’s time as leader, he said RPS has dealt with a number of challenges including the rise of drugs, guns and gang violence in the city. However, he said there have been positive steps forward in areas such as mental health.
“I had two conversations in the hallway this morning with frontline members and mental health came up in both of them and it came up very conversationally and I feel that’s a big success,” Bray said.
“That to me says stigma is reducing. People are more apt and willing to talk about it which means that we can keep people healthy that we can get people healthy and a healthy workforce means that we’re delivering a great service to the community.”
Bray said he will take the opportunity to make a formal thank you closer to June 30, which will be his last working day. He has no immediate plans upon retirement.
“I don’t plan on sitting in a rocking chair and being retired. I’m sure that I’ll find something,” Bray said.
“At this point, it’s really just about closing off this journey and ensuring when I do walk out of here at the end of June that I’m leaving this organization as poised for success as I can.”
The Board of Police Commissioners is responsible for appointing a new chief. They will hire an outside firm to undergo a nationwide search before making their selection.
Bray said there are a couple of strong candidates within RPS that he believes could fill his role.
Yesterday, I announced to the Board my intention to retire. Being Regina’s Chief of Police has been the biggest honour of my professional life! I truly value the friendships and relationships I have had the opportunity to make over the years. pic.twitter.com/49FwPmPBhy
In Alberta today, the United Conservative Party is looking to win a second consecutive majority government while the NDP is fighting to regain the office it lost in 2019.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
With the summer swimming season fast approaching, the Canada Safety Council is reminding people to be careful and take measures to prevent drowning, especially after three children died just days apart.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
In Alberta today, the United Conservative Party is looking to win a second consecutive majority government while the NDP is fighting to regain the office it lost in 2019.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
In Alberta today, the United Conservative Party is looking to win a second consecutive majority government while the NDP is fighting to regain the office it lost in 2019.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
Ottawa police are praising a local dad for quickly calling for help Sunday afternoon when he accidentally locked his keys in his car, and his infant child along with them.
Ontario Provincial Police say a driver from Augusta Township is facing an impaired driving charge after someone on Highway 416 spotted a vehicle moving erratically.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
