Brad MacConnell named Charlottetown police chief

Charlottetown has a new chief of police.

Brad MacConnell was sworn in at an official ceremony at city hall on Monday. He's been deputy chief of police since 2016.

MacConnell will be filling the seat left vacant by Paul Smith, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Smith has headed the police force since 1994.

"Brad is a seasoned officer who understands our city, our community and our police force," Mayor Philip Brown said in a statement. "I expect his passion for community based policing will continue in his new role as chief of police."

MacConnell has been a member of the Charlottetown Police Services for over 25 years. He's served in several roles, including patrol constable and detective constable with both the street crime unit and the major crimes unit, and detective sergeant in charge of major crimes.

He's received multiple awards, including one for his work with the Loki 7 task force, which investigated a series of bombings on P.E.I. in the 1990s.