Regina police chief Farooq Sheikh terminated with cause following investigation

Regina Police Chief Farooq Sheikh has been terminated with cause following investigation. Donovan Maess has the details.

Regina’s Chief of Police, Farooq Sheikh, has been terminated with cause following an investigation into alleged misconduct and inappropriate communications between Sheikh and a former member of the City’s board of police commissioners.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday at Regina Police headquarters, Mayor Chad Bachynski announced Sheikh’s termination.

“The PCC was satisfied that the investigation evidence showed the police chief acted in a manner that is unbecoming of a chief of police, and in a way that is dishonourable to the Regina Police Service,” he said.

Sheikh was removed from active service in April after a complaint was submitted to the Public Complaints Commission (PCC). An investigation into two possible major discipline offences was carried out.

During his remarks, Bachynski did not identify the complainant and noted that it is their decision to be identified publicly.

The first offence was based on two separate allegations.

The complainant alleged that Sheikh used his position as chief to influence them to vote in favour of amendments to his employment contract. Additionally, the complainant alleged Sheikh used his influence to remove the complainant from the police board.

An investigation found the first allegation to be “unsubstantiated” while no evidence was reported that the chief exercised any improper influence in the case of the second allegation.

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However, in the case of the second offence, the PCC found evidence of dishonourable conduct.

“The investigation evidence showed that Chief Sheikh engaged in inappropriate private communications with the complainant over several months that demonstrated a significant and continuing lapse in professional judgment and conduct and conduct inconsistent with Regina Police Service core values,” Bachynski explained.

According to the mayor, evidence in this case included communications between the chief and the complainant that were kept from others on the board and from members of the police service.

Sheikh and the complainant also exchanged messages during an in-camera session from which Sheikh was excused, due to possible amendments to his contract being discussed.

Additionally, Chief Sheikh asked the complainant to delete the text messages between them after the discovery of the messages became a risk.

Lastly, Sheikh later characterized the nature of the communications to a member of the police board and to a PCC investigator in a way that seriously offended the RPS’s core values of integrity, transparency and accountability.

“Overall, the chief did not take responsibility for his conduct. Based on the investigation findings, the board has made the decision to terminate Chief Sheikh’s employment contract with cause,” Bachynski added.

In a response to Sheikh’s dismissal, a lawyer representing the complainant shared a statement to CTV News.

Within that statement, the lawyer said the complainant would be reviewing the PCC’s findings and is hopeful for further dialogue with the police board regarding the circumstances of their departure from the organization.

“[The complainant] will be reviewing PCC’s findings and hopes to have open and honest communications with the Regina Board of Police Commissioners about the breach of [their] privacy and the lack of due process in asking for [their] resignation from the board before providing any further comment on this matter,” the statement read.

Lorilee Davies, who has been serving as acting chief, will continue to lead the service in that role for the time being.

In 2024, Sheikh was the second-highest paid City of Regina employee, recording an annual salary of $273,100.

• Here are the highest-paid City of Regina employees for 2024

Sheikh was hired as Regina’s chief of police on Nov. 7, 2023, and assumed the role on Dec. 1 of that year.

Before coming to Regina, Sheikh was the chief of the Alberta Sheriff’s Service.

He also held senior leadership roles with the London Metropolitan Police and West Midland Police in the United Kingdom.