Cobourg Police Service Board chair Adam Bureau says incoming Chief-Designate Chris Leather brings extensive policing experience, leadership and local connections to the role as the service prepares for a transition in leadership next month.
Leather was officially announced Wednesday as the next chief of the Cobourg Police Service and will assume the position June 1st following the retirement of Chief Paul VandeGraaf.
Speaking outside Victoria Hall on Friday, Bureau praised VandeGraaf’s long service to the community while expressing confidence in the board’s choice for the future of the service.
VandeGraaf retires following 35 years in policing, including years leading the Cobourg Police Service through issues involving mental health calls, drug investigations, community policing initiatives and technology partnerships including Venture13.
Bureau acknowledged the challenge facing any incoming chief but said Leather will bring his own style and leadership to the role.
Leather brings more than 36 years of policing experience, including senior leadership positions with the RCMP and York Regional Police, most recently serving as Criminal Operations Officer for the RCMP’s Central Region in Ontario.
His career has included oversight of major criminal investigations, organized crime operations, cybercrime investigations and national security files. Leather also played a central communications and operational leadership role following the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia, one of the most heavily scrutinized policing events in modern Canadian history.
Bureau said that experience handling high-profile investigations, public scrutiny and difficult media questions will serve Leather well in Cobourg, where police leadership has increasingly faced public accountability on issues ranging from homelessness and mental health to public safety and policing policies.
Bureau added that Leather is expected to maintain a strong working relationship with local media and the broader community.
Bureau said one factor that also stood out during the hiring process was Leather’s personal connection to the area and desire to become part of the community.
Bureau said the board spent hundreds of hours throughout the selection process and felt strongly it had found the right person to lead the service into its next chapter.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
