Calgary police to be led by Mark Neufeld until 2027

Chief Const. Mark Neufeld will be the head of the Calgary police until 2027, after the police commission approved a three-year extension to his contract.

Neufeld was sworn into the position in the spring of 2019 and was the fifth person in five years to lead the Calgary Police Service (CPS).

The service says having Neufeld in place for the next four years will ensure “stability in the leadership” of the CPS.

“The Calgary Police Service has had to navigate financial pressures, very public calls for change, and an addiction and mental health crisis, all during a pandemic that stretched resources and put employees under immense stress,” commission chair Shawn Cornett said in an announcement Thursday.

“In the face of all those challenges, Chief Neufeld has still managed to set the Service on a path to deliver the things Calgarians want, like better public safety, better models for helping people in crisis and an anti-racism strategy,” added Cornett. “Extending his term will make sure that CPS continues to lead the way on things they do well and improve where there is work to be done.”

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The commission noted Neufeld joined CPS in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently helped to reduce a 2020 planned property tax increase in a time of financial need. He has also lead the force through the acknowledgment of systemic racism in policing, following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the commission added.

Still to tackle, according to the CPS, is employee morale and engagement which has continued to decline over the last nine years.

As well as social disorder and crime, especially in the downtown core and on transit, which continues to be a concern for Calgarians.

The commission said it believes leadership stability under Neufeld is the “best way to ensure” that plans are fully implemented.

“It is my absolute honour to be afforded the opportunity to continue in a leadership role with the amazing members of the Calgary Police Service,” Neufeld said. “Thank you to the commission and council for putting their trust in me. The past four years have been both challenging and rewarding, and they have unquestionably been the highlight of my career.

“As a service we have accomplished a great deal. I know there is more to do, and we are dedicated to serving this extraordinary city.”