All ‘smiles’ in cookie sales showdown between Edmonton police chiefs

An Edmonton Police Service vehicle is parked outside Tim Hortons for the Smile Cookie campaign on May 2, 2025. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton)

Edmonton’s two interim police chiefs are battling it out to see who can earn the most “smiles” in a cookie sale showdown on Friday.

The sweet competition was held at two Tim Hortons locations in Edmonton, as interim Chiefs Warren Driechel and Devin Laforce with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) spent the morning selling Smile Cookies to customers in the drive-thru.

“I’m pretty confident. I got this,” Driechel told CTV News Edmonton outside his battleground. “I’d say he’s got to pick up his game.”

Laforce took a moment to respond to the trash talk while helping at his drive-thru, saying, “I appreciate the spirit and I like that.”

“He’s motivated to sell a lot of cookies. We are too.”

The Smile Cookie is an annual Tim Hortons’ campaign that raises money for kid programs designed to guide them away from crime and towards a brighter future.

Driechel says the stats show intervention lowers the chances of a youth reoffending.

“And if you don’t, 80 per cent of the time, they’re going back into the justice system.”

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The friendly contest is all meant to drive up sales for the cookies, decorated with a smiley face, and raise awareness and money for charity.

According to Laforce, the community response has been heartwarming.

“I just love it,” he said. “Like it warms the heart, right? Uniform, employees, public and everybody just coming together for the kids. It’s what it’s all about.”

EPS released the results of the competition on Friday afternoon with Laforce winning the sugar-fueled rivalry with 622 cookies sold. Driechel sold 510 cookies.

Together they raised $2,264 for Edmonton Police Foundation programs.

Smile Cookies are on sale until Sunday at Tim Hortons.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton