Ex-Winnipeg police chief named Ontario’s first Inspector General of Policing.

The Ford government has appointed a former chief of the Winnipeg Police Service as the province’s first Inspector General of Policing.

Devon Clunis will oversee policing in Ontario and will be responsible for setting up an Inspectorate of Policing, which will operate at arm’s length from the government to ensure effective policing services are provided to every community across the province.

The oversight role was created following the passage of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act in 2019 as part of the Ford government’s commitment to reform policing in the province.

Among the things the inspectorate will be responsible for is monitoring and conducting inspections of police services to ensure compliance with the Community Safety and Policing Act, prevent police misconduct and impose measures where necessary and investigate police complaints.

“With his proven track record as an exceptional and transformational police leader, Mr. Clunis’ contribution will be invaluable as we continue our work to ensure Ontarians receive the modern, efficient and high-quality policing services they deserve,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.

“The inspectorate that he will establish will improve transparency and accountability to the public and help increase trust between the public and their police services.”

Clunis joined the Winnipeg Police Service in 1987 and became the first Black chief of police in 2012. During his four year tenure, he is credited with leading a transformational and cultural shift within the service that successfully modernized its model of policing from reactive and crime focused to a proactive community health and well-being model.

Since 2016, Clunis has worked as a consultant in the field of policing and has been at the center of the national discussion around policing and the calls for justice from the Black community in the delivery of policing services.

In an interview with CityNews Winnipeg back in June, Clunis provided some insight into how he sees the role of policing in the community, noting the United States operates on a warrior mentality while Canada chooses a more guardian approach.

“Many stats now tell us that close to 80 per cent of what we do in terms of policing is not traditional policing,” said Clunis. “In the past most of what police did was that warrior mentality. This guardian policing says we need to build community, and so that is how philosophically we now try to socialize our police officers. So it’s significantly different. Having worked in both countries, yes, it’s day and night when we compare the way we see our roles in our communities.”

Hear more from Clunis in this CityNews Winnipeg report in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis at the hands of police