Paul Ladouceur has announced his resignation as the chief of the Estevan Police Service (EPS), ending a seven-year tenure at the helm of the agency.
The City of Estevan announced his departure in a news release Thursday afternoon, stating that Ladouceur had submitted his resignation to Mayor Roy Ludwig earlier in the day so that Ladouceur could pursue other opportunities.
His final day will be April 16.
Ladouceur has been facing criticism from the community for how he and the Estevan board of police commissioners allegedly handled Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claims made by the late Jay Pierson, a long-time EPS constable.
Pierson, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by three medical professionals, died on March 5 of natural causes at the age of 49.
Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers (SFPO) president Casey Ward said that after Pierson's death, the Estevan police members called non-confidence votes for the chief. He added that it wasn't the first time the issues rose at the service.
"There was one earlier on in the fall (2020) that they were going to do. And then we decided to commit to not doing so and to continue to work with the chief and the police board," Casey Ward said.
He explained that the SFPO usually urges members to try to keep working through their problems and doesn't recommend a non-confidence vote, and definitely not as a first resort.
"It (a non-confidence vote) sends a strong message to the police board that people don't have confidence in the chief, but really, it doesn't mean anything. And that's why we usually don't recommend them. We would rather see people sit down and try to work out issues that they have … because at the end of the day, (non-confidence votes) don't really hold any weight," Casey Ward explained.
However, Pierson's death resulted in the non-confidence vote done by the Estevan Police Association.
Ludwig said the past few weeks have been very hard on Ladouceur and Deputy Chief Murray Cowan.
"You'd like to think that we can work things through, but the chief decided to look at other opportunities and resign," Ludwig told the Mercury.
The mayor wouldn't speculate about the exact reasons for Ladouceur's resignation.
"Obviously there's always talk back and forth, what's going to happen here, what's going to happen there, but I guess the final analysis was he came to that decision with his family, and then on Thursday morning, he made it official," said Ludwig.
Casey Ward said that in this case members received the intended outcome and he commended Ladouceur for his decision, as it should allow for the healing process.
"He (Ladouceur) had reached out and said that with what's been going on he felt it is better to resign … I think he felt that it was beyond trying to repair that relationship and I think it was a good decision by the chief. I commend him for making that decision," Casey Ward said. "Now it's just time for the members to start the healing process and get better. Estevan has a great police service, and we just need to get it back where members are happy and healthy and are getting back to work."
Ludwig believes Ladouceur brought some positive change to the EPS. Among them was the introduction of a containment warrant entry team in 2015, in the wake of an incident in Moncton, N.B., the previous year that left three officers dead and two injured.
"We were fearful that if we were ever to have something happen here, that we can't have our members with just handguns," said Ludwig.
The officers who are part of the CWET team have the proper training and tools, and are in a better position if such an emergency were to occur here.
Ladouceur also worked to engage the community, and had a positive relationship with SGI, enabling Estevan to receive new funding and programs.
"He was on boards as chief. He was very involved. He was well-respected by his peers, by the other police chiefs," Ludwig said.
And he did a lot of work to bring in the police and crisis team that will partner a member of the Estevan Police Service with a mental health professional to respond to crisis mental health calls.
"He did a lot of lobbying on behalf of our police department and others that were involved in getting that in place, and now we will reap the benefits of that," said Ludwig.
Sgt. Warren Morrical will serve as the acting chief. Morrical has been with the EPS since 2008 and since 2018, has been responsible for overseeing the specialized units within the EPS, including criminal investigations, drug intelligence and forensic identification.
"He's a good sergeant and I know he'll be a good acting chief," said Ludwig.
Prior to coming to Estevan, Ladouceur had worked in policing in the Ontario communities of Brockville and London.
The Estevan board of police commissioners will take time to find a new chief, Ludwig said, so they can find the best candidate possible.
Casey Ward added that while changes have begun at the EPS, there is work that remains.
"They're still working to this day, they lost a long-time member and a good friend, and we're going to continue to work with them. I know, before, the chief had put in some processes, brought in some grief counsellors to try to help the members out. So our job now is to offer support to those members, make sure members are getting the support that they need, and that they can continue to work to provide the service for the city," Casey Ward said.
