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Troy Cooper will be Saskatoon's first Métis police chief

Troy Cooper will be Saskatoon's first Métis police chief

Calling Saskatoon "the gold standard for policing in Canada," Troy Cooper was welcomed Wednesday as Saskatoon's new police chief.

Originally from Big River, Sask., Cooper — who will be officially sworn in next month — will also be the first ​Métis person to lead the Saskatoon Police Service.

"When you look at me you can see I've gone through life as a Caucasian male, so the [Métis] status is something I rarely talk about publicly," Cooper told reporters Wednesday.

"There's been so many lived experiences of people who are of Métis descent and Indigenous people that I haven't shared."

Cooper said he has rarely spoken about his background during the 31 years he spent as a Prince Albert, Sask., police officer.

"Growing up in the north and policing in Prince Albert has exposed me to culture," Cooper said. "I participated in ceremonies, I've tried to understand and learn culture, and I've been exposed to family connections to culture."

Cooper was hired based on his extensive policing experience, and his strength in building relationships, said Darlene Brander, who chairs Saskatoon's police commission.

"We wanted a police chief who focuses on meaningful connections with people in the community," she said. "Relationship building is a day in, day out core part of their job."

City still leads in Crime Severity Index

Former police Chief Clive Weighill announced his retirement in June after leading the Saskatoon Police Service for 11 years.

Deputy chief of operations Mark Chatterbok has served as the city's interim chief since October.

Cooper takes over a police force once best known across Canada for notorious "starlight tours." At least three Indigenous men are known to have frozen to death after being dropped off on the outskirts of Saskatoon in bitterly cold weather.

In 2001, two Saskatoon police officers were sentenced to eight months in jail for unlawful confinement after driving an intoxicated Darrell Night to a power plant at the city limits. Night walked back in –22 C temperatures wearing only a T-shirt and denim jacket.

As well, Saskatoon continues to lead the country in the national Crime Severity Index. In 2016, Saskatoon ranked second in the country behind Regina.

Mayor Charlie Clark said the city made strides under Weighill, but wanted to focus on preventing crime rather than spending all the force's energy on enforcement.

"I'm very pleased and honoured and excited to welcome Troy Cooper," Clark said Wednesday as he shook Cooper's hand. "Help make this city a successful, healthy, equal city with opportunities for everyone and safe streets for our community."

Cooper said policing in Prince Albert has given him the background to lead Saskatoon's police force.

"They have very similar challenges around crime trends and business practices," Cooper said of the two cities.

One of his first tasks will be implementing the findings of an audit of the Saskatoon Police Service, commissioned by the police board.

"Drugs are driving things like property crime, gang involvement, weapons calls, so we need to spend our limited resources on the root causes of those crimes, which would be drug trafficking and chronic offenders," said Cooper.