Farewell Del: Victoria police chief working final days on job

Victoria police Chief Del Manak reflects on his time in charge of the department as his tenure comes to a close.

The long-time police chief of Victoria, B.C., is getting ready to turn in his uniform.

Victoria Police Department (VicPD) Chief Del Manak has been at the helm for nearly a decade, and is retiring on Aug. 31.

“I’ve done everything that I want to accomplish,” Manak told CTV News Vancouver Island.

“Probably the biggest accomplishment … is working with the men and women of VicPD and making sure they’re aligned to our ‘honour through service’ motto.”

Manak is packing up his corner office to make way for incoming Chief Fiona Wilson, a former deputy with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).

During his time as chief, Manak repeatedly fought for a bigger budget and more officers. He also saw the department through the pandemic and the increasingly complex overlap of mental health, addiction, homelessness, and law enforcement.

Manak got his start at the VPD in 1990 when he was 25 years old. When his father died three years later, he moved back to his hometown of Victoria for good.

“I never expected to be the chief. I also came in at a time when there was a leadership crisis,” he said.

Manak got the gig in 2017, taking over as controversy pushed former Chief Frank Elsner out of the department. The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner found Elsner committed eight acts of misconduct, including unwanted touching of two female officers and exchanging inappropriate messages with a subordinate’s wife.

“I’m going out when I’m on top,” Manak said. “I’m healthy. I’m married. There’s no scandal. I feel good about my career.”

A CTV News investigation found Manak was earning $297,250 annually, while Wilson has secured a salary nearly $53,000 higher than that.

The incoming chief takes over next Thursday, following a change of command ceremony.

‘My phone started lighting up’

CTV News’ public safety analyst Chris Lewis said most chiefs don’t stick around as long as Manak.

“The life expectancy for the average chief in Canada is not 10 years,” said Lewis, a former commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police.

“He’d be going seven days a week, almost every evening at something and then be receiving calls 24/7 about officers being hurt, officers shooting people, and different things.”

Manak had one of those calls on June 28, 2022, while vacationing in Italy.

“My phone started lighting up,” he said, noting the messages were from policing leaders across the country.

“They were texting me saying, ‘Chief, thoughts and prayers with VicPD and with what you guys are dealing with.’”

When Manak called the department, he learned six officers — three from VicPD and three from the Saanich Police Department — had been shot outside of a Bank of Montreal.

He got on the next flight home.

“What I was going through, I never told any of my officers. They didn’t want to hear that I cut my vacation short,” he said. “What they want to hear is that I’ve got their back and they’re going to be supported.”

While that was one of the darkest moments of Manak’s career, he said there were plenty of bright spots. One that stands out to Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board Chair Micayla Hayes is Manak’s connection with various groups in Victoria.

“He has extraordinarily strong community relationships and he is deeply loved by the community members of Victoria and Esquimalt,” Hayes said.

Manak said he’s not sure where his next steps will take him.

“I have had a few job offers,” he said. “But I’m going to go to Europe for a month. I’m going to rest, relax and recharge, and then decide on what I want to do.”