President’s Message: Police Leadership – When it Matters Most!By President Chief Mark Campbell, Strathroy-Caradoc Police Service I watch and listen to many media sources, both Canadian and international, and in the last couple of years I have seen how society has become more polarized and divided in their beliefs and opinions on many topics, including policing. I grew up in an environment where institutions were more respected as important pillars within our communities and relied upon as sound structures of consistency. We have many institutions in health care, education, faith communities and the justice sector that history has shown are not perfect and have evolved through some real and difficult injustices. What I believe is important is our ability to embed institutional integrity into the DNA of everything we do. In a world of instant communication, especially through a lens of social media, policing operates under constant public and media scrutiny. Every action, good or bad, can become a headline in a moment’s notice. As challenging as this can be, it reinforces the important truth that transparency is a cornerstone of public trust and legitimacy. Attention garnered through media coverage is an opportunity for police leaders and our institutions to demonstrate professionalism, compassion and a commitment to ethical service. In policing, institutional integrity means that a police organization and its members consistently act in line with its stated values: fairness, respect and justice, regardless of who is watching. It is the collective reputation that comes from thousands of individual decisions made every day. When integrity is strong, our policing institutions can withstand criticism and public pressure because the foundation is solid. When integrity weakens, that trust quickly erodes and public confidence becomes difficult to rebuild. CORNERSTONES The above principles are cornerstones for every industry and leader, not just the policing sector. This is critical in our ability to act as guardians within our communities, the proverbial glue holding us together. Our country, towns and cities, and local communities are evolving; we are becoming more diverse. With these changes, we are learning and adopting new norms while providing public safety in a universal and unbiased manner. In other words, as everything and everyone is changing, we need the consistency of public safety and community well-being to remain stable more than ever. My personal policing journey has provided me with many exciting opportunities – from working with a larger service in London, to my current organization that represents one of the many small or mid-size police services. Throughout my career, I have met and worked with many amazing members from every corner of those different organizations. Stepping into a leadership role has only expanded my opportunities to see firsthand how influential and transformational police leaders are in shaping organizational culture through ethical leadership, accountability and transparency. Today’s police leaders are evolving; I have seen this change happen right in front of my eyes as the next iteration of police leaders step into their roles. What is the pathway forward, and how do we get there? These are simple questions that require complex thought and analysis. At the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), we are embedded with forward-thinking and progressive leaders, who actively work to create multiple routes for members to become strategic decision makers, embrace community engagement and develop resiliency as a core component to effective leadership. We are excited to launch a new Certificate in Executive Leadership Program ( January 2026 start) in partnership with Schulich ExecEd (York University) and DeGroote Executive Education (McMaster University). This program is tailored for aspiring police executives in Ontario and aims to equip them with strategic leadership skills. Our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan is in place, with four major goals: • Lead and impact positive change in policing • Drive change through impactful advocacy • Strengthen the policing profession • Strengthen the OACP organization itself to support our members as the collective voice of police leadership Each goal provides universal representation for every service within our province, an area that is unique and diverse in both its geography as well as our residents. Within the new legislative framework, police leaders have further guidance through the Ontario Inspectorate of Policing and its mandate to improve police governance, oversight and public trust, while the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) provides a stronger framework for Police Service Boards to enhance their role as we all work to strengthen public and community safety. Whether you are at the start, middle or nearing the end of your professional policing career, there are many great opportunities to make a difference through embracing positivity and seeing the good that everyone has the potential to do. I was recently reminded of this by a local community member, citing an incident from many years ago; their simple thank-you for feeling valued by the police. Thank you for your service; please stay safe! Mark Campbell Chief, Strathroy-Caradoc Police Service President, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police