“There’s more work to be done.”
That’s the response from Stratford Police Chief Greg Skinner who has agreed to extend his contract in the position, originally scheduled to end this year, to 2027.
The extension was announced at Wednesday afternoon’s Stratford Police Services Board meeting.
Skinner joined the force in 2018 and says they have been making some “forward progression” within the community and within the police service but adds “change doesn’t happen quickly.”
He says it takes “consistency” at various levels in the organization to move things in a “positive direction” and he thinks they are accomplishing that.
Chief Skinner says he’s “very pleased” that the board had the confidence in him to continue to lead the Stratford Police Service.
As for what he’d like to accomplish in the years to come, Chief Skinner says he wants to build up and increase the diversity of the police service, especially in the uniform ranks, as well as move forward with a new building for the service to work out of.
He also wants to “leverage the implementation of technology” to support police operations and have a succession plan in place at all levels.
Before joining the local service, Chief Skinner spent 31 years with the Ontario Provincial Police and left the position of OPP Director of Operations at the West Region Headquarters in London to move back to Stratford, his hometown.
