Regina Board of Police Commissioners names new police chief

Regina has a new top cop.

The Regina Board of Police Commissioners announced Tuesday that Farooq Hassan Sheikh has been hired to be the 15th chief of the Regina Police Service. He was selected after a five-month-long search to replace Evan Bray, who retired at the end of June.

Sheikh will join the RPS from the Alberta Sheriff’s Service. He had served as that service’s chief since 2021.

According to a release from the board, Sheikh has 31 years of experience in law enforcement. His career includes stops with the London Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Police in the United Kingdom, and as a member of the Calgary and Central Saanich police services, among others.

Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said there were different pieces of what Sheikh brings that separated him from other candidates.

“The United Kingdom has a history of community policing efforts and so having (him) basically raised in that system (was important),” Masters said. “And he was raised in an ethnic community. He would talk about being one of the first individuals of a mixed race on his particular force.

“He was in policing in the United Kingdom during riots, during austerity measures (and during) the 2012 Olympics and so (he) has a very vast array of policing type of experience.

“We like that big-city element to come because in our city, we’re a big little town and that idea that we know that the RPS are facing more and more dangerous and risky situations, he would have experienced a number of those. He has diverse policing experience from investigative to collaborating with other policing agencies to be better from a regional perspective as well.”

Masters said the national search for the new chief included a lot of things, including town halls with RPS officers.

“Really the questions that the executive search firm were asking was, ‘What does the next police chief need to look like and what kind of characteristics and competencies do they need to possess?’ ” Masters said.

“(Regina police) were looking for someone to support a healthy and engaged workforce. Recruitment across policing agencies across the country is getting harder and that focused on recruiting qualified candidates.”

After going through dozens of applicants, only five were interviewed for the job as chief.

“We’re confident he will be an excellent chief of police,” Masters said.

Sheikh is to start in his new role Dec. 1.

Masters admits it will take him some time to get used to the demographics and challenges the city is facing.

“I think the fact he has been living in Alberta for a number of years and was with the Calgary police force — he lives in central Alberta, not in Calgary or Edmonton — so he has a sense for the more rural nature of some of our makeup,” Masters said. “He is in Treaty 6 territory but there is multiple treaties across Alberta.

“Coming to Saskatchewan, it’s a little bit flatter but in large part, the industry is similar (and) the demographic is similar. We’re just smaller, so to speak.”

Deputy Chief Dean Rae had been acting as the interim chief of the Regina Police Service since Bray’s retirement at the end of June.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated following a correction issued by the Regina Police Service. Sheikh will be the 15th chief of the Regina Police Service.