Windsor's outgoing police chief says the community has been at the heart of his job.
Police Chief Al Frederick, who leaves the job at the end of this month, was given a sendoff at a public open house held Tuesday at the Tilston VC Armoury in Windsor. Current officers, along with retired officers, firefighters, paramedics, officers from other area departments, city officials and average citizens waited in line for a face-to-face greeting with the chief.
The chief took a break from greeting guests to meet with reporters and discuss his retirement, along with the changes he has seen in his 35 years on the force. He said he can take comfort in the fact that the department is bringing in people who are community-minded.
"When you get hired as a police officer, you really do want to serve the community," said Frederick, who joined the service in 1984. "Each and every hire we make says the same thing. You don't expect to be chief of police when you walk in the door. I tell you, I've been blessed. I have the best team, I think, in Ontario."
Frederick said one of the biggest changes in the service over the past 35 years has been the technology, namely the digital radios now used by officers. He also said the biggest challenges have included the battle with addictions and the continued mental health of those in the department, though Frederick said there have great strides in those over the years as well.
"The police are on the front lines of all of that, working hand in hand with so many partners," said Frederick. "The problem is very significant and very complex."
Frederick said there were many highs and lows during his tenure on the force. He expressed his pleasure with the service's recent track record in solving homicides in Windsor. Last year there were ten homicides in the city, and Frederick said they are all now solved. The low point of his time, he said, was the 2006 murder of Senior Constable John Atkinson in the line of duty, outside a Seminole Avenue convenience store.
Frederick's last official day on the Windsor Police Service is June 28. A successor has not yet been named.
