Virtual Event
Blue Line Expo 2022
April 28, 2022 at 11:00am ET

Nishan Duraiappah – Chief, Peel Regional Police
Chief Nishan Duraiappah was born in Sri Lanka and immigrated to Canada. Chief Duraiappah began his career with Halton Police in December 1995.

He served in a variety of assignments throughout his career including front line policing, specialized investigations and Diversity and Community relations. He was promoted to Deputy Chief of Halton Police in 2015 leading front line policing, community mobilization as well as innovation and technology.

In October 2019, Chief Duraiappah was appointed Chief of Peel Regional Police. Chief Duraiappah arrived with a mandate for change and the strategic goal of becoming the most progressive police service in Canada.

Chief Duraiappah is committed to the safety and well-being of the community he serves, with one of the primary focuses being mental health and seeking multi-sectoral collaborative partnerships to reduce risk in the community. Chief Duraiappah is heavily involved in the community.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Toronto, and a Diploma of Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario. Chief Duraiappah serves as Vice President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Board of Directors. He is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and is an Officer of the Order of Merit Canada.

Rory Thompson – Calgary Police Service
Rory Thompson is currently serving with Calgary Police Service as the Executive Director responsible for Sworn Recruitment and Learning.

Prior to joining CPS in May 2021, he was the Director of Learning & Development and Military Relations Canadian Pacific Railway. During his five year tenure at CP he led programs in Operations, Recruitment, EDI, and HR.

Rory has a strong focus on employee engagement and relationship building that allows him to lead high performing teams with strong emphasis on increased collaboration, respect, accountability, diversity of thought, innovation, and continuous learning.

Born and raised in Scotland, Rory spent 11 years as a British Army Officer.

During his term, he served as a Captain in the prestigious Parachute Regiment, worked for a British Intelligence Agency and was deployed to numerous countries. After spending over two years in Canada as an Operations Officer at the British Army’s base in Suffield, AB, he decided he wanted to emigrate and settle into civilian life.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management and continues his lifelong learning with courses in leadership and management, project management and leadership coaching.

Chief Daniel J. Kinsella, M.O.M. – Halifax Regional Police
Serving as Chief of Police since July 1, 2019, Chief Dan Kinsella leads Halifax Regional Police, Atlantic Canada’s largest municipal police service.

Chief Kinsella has 33 years of experience in policing and management, and served as Deputy Chief with Hamilton Police Service (HPS) prior to his current role as Chief. Working with national and provincial law enforcement partners, Chief Kinsella acted as HPS’ command lead for multi-jurisdictional investigations and major case management, including, homicide, provincial internet child exploitation, human trafficking, fraud, drug and weapons investigations and traditional organized crime investigations.

Committed to the philosophy and concept of community-based policing, Chief Kinsella recognizes that strong, sustained community partnerships are integral to effective crime prevention for a healthy and safe community. Chief Kinsella was invested as a member of the Governor General’s Order of Merit of the Police Forces for distinguished policing, community and public service. In recognition of his commitment to policing and the community, he has received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

As a member of the Pan Am Games Team, he received the Hamilton City Manager’s Award for Hamilton Public Service Excellence.

Follow Chief Kinsella on Twitter.

Colleen Yee
Inspector Colleen Yee is a 28 year member of the Vancouver Police Department.

Her work in patrol, as an investigator in drugs, sex crimes and as a level 2 Undercover Operator for over 10 years, provided opportunities to work many different projects locally, nationally and internationally.

As a sergeant, Inspector Yee was a supervisor in patrol in one of the busiest districts in the city. She was later appointed Aide to the Deputy Chief Constable of Operations and later worked in the Professional Standards Section, and Planning, Research and Audit Section. As Staff Sergeant, Inspector Yee was seconded to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit and led the province’s largest surveillance unit and later returned to VPD’s Special Investigation Section. As an inspector she managed operational resources and mitigated risk for the entire city as the Duty Officer.

Inspector Yee also led the Community Services Section, Youth Services/ Mental Health Section and currently is the commander in the Training and Recruiting Section. Inspector Yee has over 30 years of martial arts experience and was a certified use of force instructor. She has been identified as a subject matter expert on many topics and has presented internationally.

In 2013, Inspector Yee created the VPD Women’s Personal Safety Team that has delivered workshops to over six thousand women. Inspector Yee, a commissioned officer has also been appointed the Order of Merritt of Police Forces.