Sarnia police board names acting deputy chief

Sarnia police board names acting deputy chief

Peter Murphy is expected to spend the next several months helping lead the Sarnia Police Service.

Peter Murphy is expected to spend the next several months helping lead the Sarnia Police Service.

A member of the force since 1999, Murphy stepped in on June 20 as acting deputy chief after former deputy Owen Lockhart’s recent retirement, the service announced Thursday.

The service, in a news release, thanked Murphy, who’s been a constable, sergeant, staff sergeant and inspector, for taking on the interim deputy role.

“He’s served well in that position,” said Sarnia police board chair Mike Bradley about Murphy’s work as an inspector. “The chief is the overall head, but the deputy usually is the operational person, and (Murphy) certainly has that experience.”

While Bradley had hoped to have an internal competition for the interim position, a majority on the police board thing to select Murphy instead.

The interim position is for as long as six months while the board seeks someone to take the job full time, Bradley said.

“It’s really important that we get the right candidate,” he added.

Key for whoever the board eventually hires is someone with “a really strong background with First Nations,” he said, given an agreement with Aamjiwnaang First Nation for the Sarnia service to cover that First Nations territory.

“That is critically important from my point of view,” Bradley said.

Expectations are the board will interview for the position starting in September, he said.

The board recently wrapped up a lengthy recruiting process to hire new chief Derek Daviswho was sworn in May 31.

Bradley said the extra board work has meant chairing 17 meetings already this year. Normally, they’re held just once per month.

“They’re long. They’re long,” Bradley said about hiring processes for police brass, “because it’s the most important decision a board ever makes.”

A former officer had previously accused Lockhart and another officer of sexism and discrimination, amid other racism, assault and discrimination complaints lodged against senior members of the force. That workplace dispute involving that trainer officer was resolved amicablyformer chief Norm Hansen announced in May 2021.

No further details were provided

Lockhart has repeatedly declined comment or declined to respond to requests for comment from The Observer.

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