With nearly 40 years of policing experience, spanning several areas of the Calgary Police Service (CPS), Chief Katie McLellan knows what it takes to create stronger and safer communities, especially as Calgary continues to grow. McLellan is only the second female chief in CPS history, after Christine Silverberg (1995-2000).
McLellan believes CPS must build trust with communities by being accountable and transparent. That’s why she strongly encourages public engagement to help identify problems and create solutions together, and one point she’s heard is a need for more resources.
McLellan will bring forward a four-year plan to hire an additional 660 officers to city council in a budget review in November, along with more support for technology, infrastructure and people. Until then, she continues to focus on her priorities for a safer Calgary: community partnerships, traffic safety, addressing social disorder (situations that cause a public disturbance), front-line capacity, deployment models, and staff health and wellness.
Since you began policing nearly four decades ago, how has Calgary changed?
We’ve grown tremendously. Calls have become more complex. Our members are seeing a lot of guns, drugs and other weapons. With a big city comes big-city problems; there’s a lot of tragedy and trauma. As a young member many years ago, I didn’t see as much trauma as what our members are seeing now. So, I think that ties into why many are off [on leave from front-line work].
So more front-line officers are needed?
A lot of our officers are just being reactive — calls come in, they respond. There’s a very small percentage of police officers who have the time to be proactive, build relationships and do investigations, proper followups and engagement projects. We’re looking to boost that so that our members have more time to be proactive.
Is diversity important in the force you’re hiring?
We’re one of the most diverse cities in the country, and it’s really important that we have members that reflect the community, that they’re at the table, sharing concerns, building those relationships and trust. It’s about having people that reflect the community that we serve.
What are you most proud of in your work as chief?
I’ve been focused and very specific with respect to how and where I spend my time with the membership. It’s super important to me to have that connection — to let the membership know that I’ve got their back.
What do you love about Calgary?
The people, without question. I get it, we’re not all loved by everyone, but we have communities and people that reach out to me on a regular basis. People are engaged, and we love being out, [serving] in the community. That’s why we wear this uniform.