Calgary's next top cop is Mark Neufeld, president of Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police

Mark Neufeld, Camrose's current police chief and the president of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, has been named as the next leader of the Calgary Police Service.

Neufeld spent 24 years with the Edmonton Police Service and two years as Chief of the Camrose Police Service.

Neufeld will take over from interim Chief Steve Barlow no later than June, according to a release sent out by the Calgary Police Commission.

Barlow took over in October when then-chief Roger Chaffin announced his retirement 2½ years before his contract was set to expire. 

The police commission recommended Neufeld to city council after considering candidates who applied from across the country.

Police commission chair Brian Thiessen said the commission was looking for a progressive, expert communicator "who acts with the highest level of respect, fairness and compassion."

"Incoming chief Neufeld checks all those boxes," said Thiessen.

Neufeld says he is "thrilled" to be joining CPS. The senior officer holds a master's degree in criminology and police management from Cambridge University.

"Working together, we will create a safe, respectful and inclusive culture where people come first," he said as part of a written statement released Monday afternoon.

Neufeld has also been seconded to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) twice, including in 2007, when he helped implement the province's police watchdog agency. 

CPS HR problems

Neufeld's experience in the human resource division of the Edmonton Police Service will likely serve him well when he takes over.

In February 2017, more than a dozen female officers came forward after filing harassment and bullying complaints against CPS. That same year, under Chaffin, CPS began a human resources overhaul. 

Last September, the new head of HR — hired to tackle those toxic workplace allegations — announced she was resigning after just a few months on the job due to what she described as dictatorship-style leadership.

Last month, Chaffin told CBC News the biggest challenge facing the next chief is getting everyone on board with HR reforms, including a core group of senior managers who are resistant, or at least unenthusiastic, to change.

Neufeld is expected to begin his new position no later than June.