• PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS, RECOGNITION •
Shawna Spowart was appointed as the new police chief in Cornwall in June. With over 26 years with the Cornwall Police Service (CPS), she is the first female police chief in the service’s history. Over the past seven years, Spowart has worked at the executive level in various roles including as officer in charge of the Community Patrol Division, inspector of Field Operations and Deputy Chief of Police, a position she began in 2018. She has also previously worked in various areas of the CPS, including the Community Patrol Division, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit and the Criminal Investigations Division. Throughout her career, Spowart received various awards including Police Exemplary Medal – 20 Years (Governor General of Canada), Recognition for 20 Years of Service (Cornwall Community Police Services Board) and Awards of Excellence for Team Achievement, Investigations and Meritorious Service (Canadian Police College). Spowart is also currently a Zone 2 Executive Committee Member on the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.
Tanya Whysker was promoted to the role of superintendent of the Vancouver Police Department on April 23. She joined the VPD in 1997 and began her policing career by working in districts 3 and 4 on assignments in Strike Force, Robbery/Assault, CFSEU-BC, School Liaison and Youth Services. In 2016, Whysker was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Professional Standards Section. She was then transferred to the Sex Crimes Unit where she led a team and supervised VPD detectives assigned to the Child Youth Advocacy Centre. In 2019, she was promoted to staff sergeant assigned to the Professional Standards Section. Upon promotion to inspector in 2020, Whysker remained in the Professional Standards Section as a designated Discipline Authority until being assigned to inspector in the Human Resources Section. She is a member of the VPD Critical Incident Stress Management Team and a member of the VPD Women’s Personal Safety Team.
After 30 years of service, Sgt. Tammy Morden from the Niagara Regional Police Service retired. Hired in 1991, Morden served in a variety of positions, including frontline officer, breath tech, drug recognition expert, use of force trainer and fraud detective. Most recently, she held the role of sergeant in charge of the Policy & Risk Management Unit. She also worked on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion portfolio, where she created the Chief of Police – Community Inclusion Council and the Internal Inclusion Committee. Morden received a number of awards, including the inaugural Axon/CACP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, and helped create the new Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Unit for Niagara Police Service. She officially retired in April.
Treena MacSween was recently promoted to superintendent of the Hamilton Police Service. The appointment officially comes into effect on August 31. She is the fourth female superintendent and the first person of colour to achieve the rank in Hamilton’s history. MacSween began her career with Peel Regional Police in 1998 and transferred to the Hamilton Police Service in 2001. During her 24-year career, she has worked in numerous areas including Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Training, executive officer for the Deputy Chiefs and the Public Order Unit, among others. She is a graduate of Mohawk College and McMaster University, and continued her education through Athabasca University. In 2017, MacSween became the first person of colour (male or female) to be promoted to the rank of inspector. She is currently assigned as the commander in charge of the Community Mobilization Division, which oversees Crisis Response, Community Relations, Youth Services, Mounted, Victim Services, ACTION, Bail Compliance, Crime Prevention, Crime Stoppers and Auxiliaries.
Veronica Eaton was promoted from inspector to superintendent in May. Eaton joined Orillia OPP as a platoon sergeant in May 2009. In 2013, she left the role to work in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. In September 2017, she returned to Orillia OPP as detachment commander. She is now stationed at OPP General Headquarters, where she is director of provincial traffic operations with the Highway Safety Division. She oversees deployed traffic teams in the province and manages specialty patrol operations, including ATV, bicycle and snowmobile units. Eaton will also oversee the collision reconstruction, drug recognition and breath technician programs.
If you have an officer in your agency recently promoted or retiring or an individual you wish to have recognized (major award or recently deceased) you can let Blue Line magazine know by emailing: bcharlebois@annexbusinessmedia.com.
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