GILLINGHAM: “AS MAYOR, I WILL SIT ON THE POLICE BOARD” TO
SUPPORT CRIME PREVENTION PRIORITIES
Mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham today announced that as mayor, he would directly focus on
policing and crime prevention issues by becoming a member of the Winnipeg Police Board.
"Crime prevention is a top priority for Winnipeggers, so it will be my job as mayor to reflect that with a
personal commitment of leadership and support for the Police Board’s work,” he said.
“Under Manitoba law, the Winnipeg Police Service is governed by a board, and the mayor has no
authority to give personal or operational direction to the Service, so collaboration with and through
the board is the right approach to support positive change and improve public safety,” he said. “I
consulted with experts on this, and all agreed it is an appropriate step to promote policing priorities,
especially on crime prevention.”
If elected, Gillingham would be the first Winnipeg mayor to sit on the board since it was created in
2013. Mayors often sit on or even chair police boards in other Canadian cities, including Toronto,
Vancouver, Hamilton and Brandon. Gillingham previously chaired Winnipeg’s Police Board as a
councillor from 2014-16.
“Having our next mayor on the board will help open up communications with other governments and
help to promote continuous improvement in Winnipeg’s Police Service,” said Markus Chambers, the
City Councillor for St. Norbert-Seine River who has also chaired the Winnipeg Police Board. He
endorsed Scott Gillingham for mayor earlier this year.
Gillingham also committed to re-activate a Police Service ‘criminologist-in-residence’ program.
However, the revived position will be funded by the City directly so his or her advice can be made
broadly available to City Council, the civic administration, the Police Service and the Police Board,
supporting a city-government-wide approach to crime prevention.
These commitments are first steps in Gillingham’s broader platform on crime prevention and policing,
which will be released in full before the weekend.
For more information: Colin Fast 204-803-6406 / media@voteforscott.ca
