New deputy police chief hired in Sarnia

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The Sarnia Police Service has a new deputy chief.

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Julie Craddock, an inspector with the Halton Regional Police Service, has been hired by the Sarnia Police Service Board to fill the local deputy’s post

“This is a win for Sarnia,” said Paul Wiersma, vice-chairperson of the board.

Craddock is currently commander of regional community mobilization and engagement in Halton. She began her career in 1994 with the OPP and joined the Halton service in 1995, where she worked in criminal investigations, traffic, recruiting, community mobilization and front-line operations, rising from the rank of constable to inspector.

Craddock will be the first female and Indigenous deputy chief with Sarnia police.

“Our selection of her was based on the tremendous amount of knowledge and experience that she brings to the role,” Wiersma said. “We’re certainly trying to diversify the service to be able to reflect the community in terms of our demographics and, certainly, that is a wonderful feature that the deputy chief is both female and Indigenous.”

Craddock recently completed the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Global Studies Program and is completing a bachelor’s degree in equity, diversity and human rights.

She is a member of the Beausoleil First Nation and two of her four children are officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service. Her husband is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Craddock is active on local, provincial and national policing committees and with the urban indigenous community in Halton.

“I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the Sarnia Police Services Board for this incredible opportunity,” Craddock said in a statement. “The City of Sarnia is a well-connected community offering an amazing quality of life.

“I look forward to joining the Sarnia Police Service and its dedicated members who are committed to the safety and well-being of Aamjiwnaang First Nation and the people of Sarnia.”

Her hiring by the board follows its selection earlier this year of Chief Derek Davis, who was sworn in at the end of May.

Davis also previously worked for the Halton Regional Police Service.

Wiersma said Davis and Craddock knew each other and worked together in Halton.

“That wasn’t a consideration in the selection process,” Wiersma said.

The hiring of Craddock, announced Dec. 14, followed a three-month process by the board to hire a deputy chief. The post had been vacant following the previous deputy chief’s retirement in the spring.

“We had multiple applicants from really across the country – both internal and external,” Wiersma said.

Craddock was selected following two rounds of interviews by a subcommittee of the police services board, he said.

The police chief and local police association president were involved in the hiring process as observers, he added.

“This was a board decision – a broad-driven process because the deputy chief and the chief are really employees of the board,” Wiersma said.

“It was really important to us as an organization that we found someone who really embraced the vision that we have for continuous improvement.”

Wiersma pointed to the city police service’s recent work consulting with the community to prepare a new business plan and its 2023 budget.

“There has been a lot of input from the community about wanting to have more proactive, as compared to reactive, policing, and to have more engagement with the community – more collaboration with community organizations,” he said.

“I really believe that the experience that Julie has in her previous role, as well as her being female and Indigenous, brings a perspective to the senior team that I think is really important.”