The Board of Police Commissioners has been so satisfied with Police Chief Rick Bourassa’s leadership during the past 10 years that it has extended his contract for another three.
Board chair Mary Lee Booth announced on Feb. 28 at the police station that the board was extending Bourassa’s contract for another 39 months, or until Dec. 31, 2026.
He signed his first five-year contract in 2013 and renewed it in 2018, with the second agreement to expire Sept. 30, 2023.
The Moose Jaw-born Bourassa, 63, has been in policing for 42 years after enlisting with the Regina Police Service in 1981.
Bourassa joked that he felt “really old” for being in the profession so long.
“It’s really quite an honour and it’s a privilege to have this role — and I don’t take that lightly,” he said, noting his 10 years have gone quickly.
“It’s good to know that not only the board members and the oversight bodies have that confidence in me as a chief, but also the community. And I take that very seriously.”
When Bourassa arrived, he recognized that the police service lacked the resources to carry out its mandate, he said. So, he worked with the board to acquire more officers — numbers have jumped to 64 from 52 members since 2013 — and ensure the agency was fiscally responsible.
These extra officers have allowed the organization to pursue several initiatives, such as addressing child abuse through the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, handling serious situations with the Tactical Response Team (TRT) or helping people experiencing psychological crises with the Police and Crisis Team (PACT) unit.
Other projects Bourassa wants to pursue include upgrading IT infrastructure so officers can file reports in the community, addressing traffic safety, improving the agency’s investigative abilities and providing members with more physical and mental support.
The police board has been surprised and pleased to have retained Bourassa for this long, considering police chiefs usually have a short “shelf life,” said Booth. Yet, that longevity also demonstrates the board’s trust and confidence in him to guide the organization and develop officers for senior leadership roles.
Bourassa has also been instrumental since he arrived in creating and pushing forward projects that have benefited the community, such as the PACT, TRT and ICE units, she continued.
Furthermore, he has focused on “diversity” and “inclusion” by supporting marginalized groups since he has “a heart” for that work.
“We are everybody’s police … . We tend to police in the margins. And in the margins are people who are in greatest need or most vulnerable and won’t necessarily reach out to us,” said Bourassa. “So it’s important that we create those bridges … .”
Booth noted that when Bourassa first arrived, he helped organize the community’s first round dance even though Moose Jaw has a small Aboriginal population.
“Under his leadership, the Moose Jaw Police Service has the trust and confidence of the people,” she said.
The police board wanted to keep Bourassa for another 39 months because he is spearheading the board’s new strategic plan and working on its priorities, Booth said. The previous plan contained a community consultation report that indicated residents wanted a larger police presence in the community.
“That’s going to be an item we’re going to follow up in the next couple of years, so we’re very, very pleased we have somebody with expertise and knowledge and visibility and trust in the community,” she added.
When asked if he planned to retire in three years, Bourassa replied that he could not predict the future. Instead, he would continue to train officers for senior leadership roles — including for possibly his job — and work with the board on hiring someone new should the time come “to go out to pasture.”
