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After serving as interim police chief for more than one year, Don MacLean was sworn in as the first permanent African Nova Scotian chief of the Halifax Regional Police on Wednesday morning.
Speaking to a room of past and present Halifax police and RCMP officers, city councillors, and members of the board of police commissioners, MacLean spoke about the responsibility to build community and stay responsive to the needs of citizens.
“We can never lose sight that policing is ultimately about people. Trust is an invaluable commodity, and it is something we must all work on, whether it’s the people we serve or with each other. It is something we must never take for granted,” he said.
MacLean became acting police chief in September 2023 after former chief Daniel Kinsella retired. During his tenure, MacLean lead the force while it handled an increased volume of protests in Halifax, a growing unhoused population, and a shooting at the Africville family reunion where five people were injured.
His priorities include improving public safety and police wellness, recruiting and retaining more officers, and building community relationships.
The new chief also paid tribute to the African Nova Scotian officers that came before him and “paved the way” to make it possible for him to lead the force. “I’d be remiss if I did not acknowledge the African Nova Scotian officers who came before me …. Officers whose experiences were simply not the same as mine.”
MacLean’s swearing-in ceremony comes one month after the commander of Nova Scotia’s RCMP apologized for the use of street checks, which are now banned. The practice, also known as carding, involved police randomly stopping citizens to record their personal information and store it electronically.
In 2019, a provincially commissioned study revealed Black people in Nova Scotia were five times more likely to be stopped for street checks than were white citizens. MacLean’s predecessor issued an apology for the same practice in 2019 when the report was first published.
Acknowledging the strained relationship between the Black community and police, MacLean told reporters after Wednesday’s ceremony he hoped his new role will inspire the next generation of African Nova Scotians.
“Opportunity looks different to different folks,” he said, adding that seeing a Black chief of police “opens up a world that is something you may not have thought of.”
MacLean, who assumed the permanent role on Aug. 12, is a lifelong resident of Halifax and has been with the police force for 31 years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.
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