Winnipeg's next top cop cannot fix city's problems alone, former chief says

A former chief of the Winnipeg Police Service says the next top cop will lead the force in a "radically different" environment than when he was in the job — and shouldn't be expected to fix the city's problems alone.

Devon Clunis, who served as Winnipeg's police chief from 2012 to 2016, suggests the new head of the police service tackle crime by speaking out about the realities of what officers are seeing to politicians and business leaders.

"It really doesn't matter who we select as the next chief of police if we expect that it's going to be magical and that individual is going to solve [all our] problems," said Clunis, who was Canada's first Black chief of police.

"We're setting ourselves up for failure. This is going to require collective effort."

Clunis says Danny Smyth, who officially retired as police chief last week following seven years in the role, dealt with a "radically different" environment than he did as chief.

LISTEN | 'Law enforcement will not fix what we're dealing with,' former chief says:

The COVID-19 pandemic and mass protests in response to the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sowed divisions between communities and police, he said.

"The environment in the last four years, societally speaking, has been very difficult for those who are trying to serve and those who are being served, so we need to get back to the point of just having conversations," he said.

Emergency service workers faced "a significant amount of trauma" in the wake of the pandemic, and the new chief will have a major role to play in restoring the health of the police service as well as the community, Clunis said.

"What we're seeing in terms of crime is a deep cry within our community because we're so disconnected. All these social issues are not being dealt with."

The new chief needs to focus on rebuilding connection with the community, Clunis said.

"And yes, I would put that task first and foremost in the chief's lap to say, 'This is your responsibility.'"

His advice to the person who takes on the role is to listen.

"I would say be humble enough to recognize that there's no way you can ever know it all, and listen to those with the expertise who are providing you the advice and the evidence in which to make really important and difficult decisions," he said.