The Edmonton Police Commission is pleased to announce that Rod Knecht has been ratified as the new Chief of the Edmonton Police Service.
Edmonton City Council has ratified the appointment of Roderick (Rod) Knecht as Edmonton’s next Chief of Police
Chief designate Roderick Knecht will retire from his current post as Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to start in his new role as Chief of Police of the Edmonton Police Service June 1, 2011.
“The Commission set out to find the best candidate to become Edmonton’s next Chief of Police and we are confident we’ve achieved this goal. Rod Knecht’s professional experience – in both operations and management – combined with extensive policing experience in the capital region and the province of Alberta made him the top candidate,” said Commission Chair Arlene Yakeley.
The Commission negotiated a five-year contract with Chief designate Knecht, who is highly regarded and well respected throughout the national and international policing community. Knecht was selected for his leadership abilities, global policing experience and his commitment to community-focused policing.
Chief designate Knecht spoke with enthusiasm and passion about his new role and responsibilities, “The Edmonton Police Service has an international reputation for excellence and I see a tremendous opportunity to be a part of making Edmonton the most safe and vibrant city in Canada. Serving the community of Edmonton will be personally satisfying and challenging.”
Before moving to Ottawa, Knecht was responsible for the RCMP in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut and was the Deputy Commissioner – North West Region and Commanding Officer “K” Division in Edmonton, Alberta.
Although Knecht has been relocated many times across Canada, he considers Edmonton his home and looks forward to rejoining our community.
“I am very pleased to welcome Rod Knecht back to the City of Edmonton and into the role of Chief of Police,” said Mayor Mandel. “His credentials are impressive and the Commission has done their due diligence. We’ve seen incredible progress in the Edmonton Police Service over the past five years and I expect this will continue under Rod’s leadership. ”
Chair Yakeley commended Acting Chief David Korol and the EPS leadership team, “Over the past three months, under David Korol’s leadership, the EPS has managed this transition extremely well and maintained momentum within the organization. We are pleased to see the police service moving ahead on many fronts.”
The Commission conducted an extensive national search and received 100 referrals and 22 formal applications for the position.