Former Transit Police chief Neil Dubord named Delta's new top cop

The Delta Police Board has named Neil Dubord as the department’s new chief constable.

Mayor Lois Jackson announced the news this afternoon (April 28) with a media release.

“We looked for a Chief who is a strong leader with a proven track record in policing, a critical thinker and more importantly a person who believes in community policing and our ‘no call too small’ mandate,” she said quoted there. “Mr. Dubord has all those qualities and a solid career behind him. We welcome him to our community, and we are confident he will be an excellent fit for our organization and will continue to make Delta one of the safest communities in the lower mainland.”

Dubord has nearly 30 years’ experience in policing.

He spent the last three years serving as chief of Transit Police, the regional authority that has jurisdiction over Metro Vancouver’s Translink properties. Before moving to B.C., Dubord was with the Edmonton Policing Service for 25 years.

He takes over for former chief Jim Cessford, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Dubord’s appointment comes at a difficult time for the area. Directly to Delta’s east, the City of Surrey is struggling with what authorities have described as low-level gang violence. Earlier the morning of Jackon’s announcement, Surrey RCMP recorded the 23rd gang-related shooting that’s occurred over the course of the last seven weeks.

Delta has yet to set a date for Dubord's formal assumption of responsibilities. The media release states a transition plan is still being finalized.