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Prince Albert police chief moving to top job with Saskatoon police force

Troy Cooper will be leaving the north-central Saskatchewan city to replace retiring chief Clive Weighill.

Cooper has been police chief in Prince Albert since 2012 — the culmination of a long career from constable to inspector with the force.

Police board chair Darlene Brander said Cooper will continue to motivate the police force while engaging with community groups and residents.

“We found the community leader we wanted,” she said Wednesday in a release.

Cooper said addictive drugs are behind an increase in property crime as well as mental health calls, break-ins, home invasions and gang tag graffiti that consume police resources. He said his focus will be on chronic offenders and the trafficking of drugs like fentanyl and crystal meth.

He added the Saskatoon force, like others, will also face extra challenges this year with changes to legislation on access to information and the legalization of marijuana.

“That new enforcement is going to require new resources and at this point, the new resources that are required and the impact of those resources are not fully known,” Cooper said. “That makes it difficult to predict and difficult to plan for.”

The Saskatoon police board began searching for a new chief in June, when Weighill announced his plans to retire after serving as chief for 11 years.

Cooper starts his new job Feb. 28.

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2018