Dennis Poole will vacate the top rung of the Chatham-Kent Police Service’s ladder Friday, making way for Gary Conn to climb to the top.
Poole retires after six years as police chief this Friday. On April 14, the Police Services Board announced it had pegged Conn, the deputy chief, to replace Poole.
Conn will be appointed acting chief on April 25, the day after Poole officially retires. He’ll be sworn in as chief May 22 at a noon-hour ceremony at the Chatham Armoury.
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Diane Daly, chair of the Police Services Board, said the board decided unanimously to promote Conn to chief. She said there was no open search for Poole’s replacement.
“We promoted from within. We have a succession plan,” she said. “It’s been a really good one.”
She said the board approached Conn to gauge his interest.
He said he interviewed for the job, provided the board with a Power Point presentation and fielded questions from board members.
And then the lawyers got involved.
“The longest process was finalizing a contract. It’s not that we couldn’t come to an amicable agreement, it’s having their lawyers and my lawyer review it.”
He’s naturally happy with the promote-from-within mindset the board has, adding it is beneficial to the police service.
“The organization and the Police Service Board have always had a succession plan. I wanted to hope I was part of that,” he said. “I think unless you have to go outside, it’s always nice to stay internal. It facilitates a smooth transition. It also keeps morale high.”
Conn did go through an open search in 2012 when he was named deputy chief. Then a staff sergeant, he beat out others in the board’s quest to replace Clare Wiersma.
Daly thinks Conn will be an excellent replacement for Poole.
“He’s community oriented and knows all of the officers. This is a really good fit,” she said. “He has his own strengths and he’ll bring that to be chief. He’s very good community-wise, a good speaker, knows his politics … I don’t think he has any weak points.”
Conn believes his time with the police service – he’s been here since the service was launched in 1998 – is beneficial.
“The nice thing about being an internal candidate is that you know all the intricacies, you know the people,” he said. “I’ve worked with almost everyone here in one form or another. You end up knowing strengths and weaknesses.”
Conn said there are several challenges facing the police service, but pointed out the top one is financial sustainability.
“We’ve all heard the expressions of the rising cost of policing and having to do more with less,” he said.
Other areas of importance, Conn said, are maintaining a healthy workforce to ensure staff have a work-life balance, as well as continuing to incorporate improved technology into the service, and improving community mobilization – engage the public to help develop strategies to improve overall community safety.
He said it will be different without Poole in the building.
“Dennis Poole is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. He has 35 years of experience. He embodies professionalism and integrity,” Conn said.
But he added Poole won’t be far away.
“There’s definitely going to be a steep learning curve and a transition period, but the nice thing is I know he’s going to be staying in Chatham and he’s only a phone call away,” Conn said.
With Conn filling the chief’s role, the deputy chief position will soon be vacant. Daly said the board hopes to have a replacement by the end of May, and she would like to see the position filled from within as well.
“We’re going to try to do it in house. We’ll look there first,” she explained. “If we don’t find someone from within the ranks, we’ll go outside.”
Conn said he thinks there are worthy people on staff at the police service to fill the deputy chief position.
“There are certainly ample internal applicants within our service. At the end of the day, the decision whether to stay in house is the board’s decision,” he said.
About the new chief
Gary Conn was born and raised in London. He’s a Western alumnus, as well as a military veteran. In 1995, he became a correctional officer, working in London at a youth detention centre, but soon was hired by the London Police Service.
Three years later, Conn joined the newly amalgamated Chatham-Kent Police Service, where he developed and implemented the service’s honour guard.
In 2002, the Ontario Police College seconded Conn for two years to serve as an instructor. He received a promotion to sergeant upon his return to C-K.
He continued to climb the ranks, becoming deputy chief in 2012.
Conn’s continuing education while on the job has led to a Master’s in public administration, and he recently completed the FBI National Academy Program in Quantico, Virginia.
