Halifax police chief retires after four years on the job

Halifax police chief announces he is stepping down The Halifax Regional Police Force Chief, Dan Kinsella, has announced he is stepping down.

Chief of the Halifax Regional Police, Dan Kinsella, is retiring after four years on the job.

In a statement Wednesday, Halifax police shared news of Kinsella’s retirement, which will take effect Sept.15. At that time, an acting chief of police will be appointed, the statement said.

“On behalf of the Halifax Regional Municipality, I thank Chief Kinsella for his dedication to policing and his service to our residents,” Halifax’s chief administrative officer Cathie O’Toole said in the statement.

O’Toole said the municipality will work closely with the Board of Police Commissioners to support a smooth leadership transition.

Kinsella held the role of police chief during a number of significant policing events, including the April 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting and the August 2021 protests in Halifax’s downtown when homeless encampments were removed by city staff with support from police.

He was also the police chief who offered an apology in 2019 on behalf of the Halifax force for racial profiling and years of street checks that disproportionately affected Black people.

“Chief Kinsella led Halifax Regional Police through a tumultuous period within society at large and policing in particular,” Halifax Board of Police Commissioners chair and city councillor Becky Kent said in a statement.

“With challenging circumstances that included a global pandemic, growing calls for accountability in policing internationally and locally, and tragedies that impacted our own communities.”

Kent thanked Kinsella for his leadership “throughout this difficult time.”

In November 2022, an internal vote conducted by Atlantic Canada’s largest police force found the majority of Halifax Regional Police members did not have confidence in Kinsella as chief of police. Nearly 84 per cent of Halifax Regional Police participated in the voting process that lasted two weeks, and 96.6 per cent of voters indicated they did not have confidence in Kinsella’s ability to lead.

Kinsella became Halifax’s police chief in 2019 after working for 33 years at the Hamilton Police Service, including as the Ontario city’s deputy police chief.

“Serving as a police officer has been an incredible honour, and leading HRP in the role of Chief has been a highlight of my career,” Kinsella said in a statement.

“During this time, along with our incredible team at HRP and our partners, we have together faced many tough challenges, all the while striving to respond to calls for accountability and progressive change in policing.”

The police chief also thanked his family for their “undying support and love throughout these years.”

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