Chief Spowart’s departure makes policing an election issue. Let the voters have their say

Chief Shawna Spowart’s decision to retire from policing after decades of serving the Cornwall
community is an opportunity to allow the public to have a direct say in the future of the Cornwall
Police Service.

The Chief has announced that she will be staying on until December 31, 2026. Prior to that
date, in October, there will be a municipal election.

This current Cornwall Police Service Board should not appoint a new Chief, but instead should
allow for policing to be an election issue.

The public must have a say on who leads this important service and there is no better way for
the will of the public to be expressed than through a municipal election.

After the election there may be a new mayor and council who may have very different views on
policing in Cornwall, views I hope that they choose to express and campaign on.

These new faces around the table could lead to an adversarial situation between them and any
chief appointed by the current board.

The Cornwall Police Service has one of the largest budgets in the city. The public should have
an opportunity to discuss and debate how that money is spent and how policing is provided in
Cornwall.

Candidates for mayor and council should be asked about their views on policing, allowing
members of the public to vote in a council that best represents what they want from their police
service.

It would be undemocratic for this board to hire a new police chief prior to the swearing in of the
next council. Such a decision would be disrespectful and dismissive of the community the CPS
serves and of the taxpayers who fund this important branch of our municipal government.

If this board does appoint a new chief, whose views and approach to policing do not reflect the
intent of the person voted into the mayor’s office by the residents of Cornwall in October, this
could lead to a situation where that new chief is fired by the next police board, leading to a loss
of time and taxpayer money.

I am asking the Cornwall Police Service Board to let the public vote on the future of policing in
Cornwall.

Nick Seebruch