The St. Thomas police chief is handing in his badge after a 34-year policing career and the force’s deputy chief has been named his successor.
Chief Chris Herridge, who took the helm of force in 2017, will retire in February and Deputy Chief Marc Roskamp will assume the chief’s job in an acting capacity before being officially sworn in in May, the St. Thomas police board said Thursday.
“Leadership is about preparing, empowering and inspiring others to lead. Now is the right time for me to step away and let the very capable internal future leaders take this amazing police service even further,” Herridege said in a statement.
“We have made tremendous strides in transforming into one of the most professional, advanced and transparent police services in Ontario.”
Herridge started his law-enforcement career in 1989 as a cadet with the St. Thomas police, working his way through the ranks over three decades, spending time in nearly every unit before being appointed chief.
Under Herridge, St. Thomas police became the first force in Southwestern Ontario to outfit officers with body-worn cameras, a move to increase transparency that has been credited with helping resolve complaints against police and streamlining evidence collection.
“Chief Herridge is recognized as a community leader because of his innovative thinking, creative problem solving and vision to modernize and implement the latest technological advances,” police board chair Dan Reith said in a statement.
“His dedication to the safety of the citizens of St. Thomas is the result of a strong commitment to community policing and the restructuring of the police service to make it more efficient and effective.”
Herridge notified the police board in September about his intentions to retire, prompting the civilian body responsible for overseeing policing to begin the search for a replacement. Roskamp, who has served a deputy chief since 2018, was selected.
The 25-year policing veteran acknowledged he has “big shoes to fill” and singled out ensuring his officers have the “resiliency training and skills to function optimally, both professionally and personally” as his top priority.
“Our community is vibrant and growing at a very fast pace, and with that, comes an obligation on all of us to ensure that we are working together so that we can deliver responsive services in ways that continue to matter,” Roskamp said in a statement.