After 30 years of service in Prince Albert, Chief Troy Cooper, will leave the city to lead the police in Saskatoon.
Cooper will start working in Saskatoon sometime this fall and will remain in Prince Albert until February 16.
“It is not only a proud day for Chief Troy Cooper, but it is also a proud day for the City of Prince Albert,” said Prince Albert Mayor, Greg Dionne. “To think that Troy has come up through the ranks in his career, and to now finish his career as the chief of the largest municipal force in the province is a great congratulation.”
In a press conference at city hall, Cooper spoke at length about how his time in Prince Albert has readied him for his new position and how diversity is essential for policing in the future.
“If you’re only recruiting or bringing diversity into your organization as an obligation, it’s not worth doing,” noted Cooper. “You have to look at diversity as something of value, because it is. It’s a value to everybody, but particularly in policing, we have really complex social issues that we deal with, that’s our job.”
When asked if he had any advice for the one who will fill his position, Cooper said they must be ready for how policing will change in the future.
“The new chief is going to have to look at policing models, we’ve talked about community safety officers, we’ve talked about (a) regional approach to policing, these things have to happen. They have to happen because policing the way it is now isn’t sustainable,” Cooper said.
“When I started, I wore the same boots as the guy did a hundred years before that, the same gun and uniform and for some reason, we’re stuck in tradition. Nobody can afford it, so we need to really look for some alternative solutions.”
Prince Albert officials are currently working on selecting the interim chief of the force and assembling a committee that will select the new chief for the city.
(PHOTO: Chief Troy Cooper. Photo by Travis Radke.)