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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.