(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
Once again, at this stage, only crickets from Cobourg Police and the Cobourg Police Services Board, but London Police Service has announced updates and changes around the leadership structure of their organization on Friday, December 19, 2025.
Below is the press release with the announcement.
“In September, the Board announced the extension of Chief Thai Truong’s contract to December 31, 2031, as part of its strategy to secure transformative leadership for the Service.
The Board has furthered this strategy by appointing Mr. Roger Ramkissoon as the Service’s first Chief Administrative Officer and Mr. Ali Chahbar as General Counsel for Chief Truong. Mr. Ramkissoon and Mr. Chahbar were selected following a robust national search for both positions conducted by Phelps Group. The Board has also ensured stability in current leadership by extending the contracts of Deputy Paul Bastien to December 31, 2030, and Deputy Treena MacSween to December 31, 2032, and elevating Ms. Stephanie Johanssen’s role from Board Executive Director to Chief Governance Officer.
“These actions reflect the Board’s responsibility to ensure strong leadership structures are in place to support effective governance, accountability, and efficient service delivery in an increasingly complex policing environment,” said the Board Chair, Ryan Gauss.
In April 2024, the Board formally announced that it would conduct an arm’s-length external Organizational Review following a restructuring of the Senior Leadership Team, particularly within the HR, Finance, and Legal divisions. This review was conducted as part of the Board’s ongoing efforts to improve service delivery, identify financial efficiencies, and better align resources with key public safety priorities. The findings indicated that merging the previous Senior Director of HR and Senior Director of Finance roles with the third existing Deputy role into a new Chief Administrative Officer position, and establishing a General Counsel position for the Chief in place of a Senior Director of Legal Services, would help reduce costs while enhancing organizational effectiveness and long-term capacity.
Mr. Ramkissoon is an accomplished senior executive with extensive experience in policing, public-sector, and non-profit leadership. He is presently the Chief Administrative Officer of the Cobourg Police Service. As a Chartered Professional Accountant with an MBA and Master of Laws, and Certified Human Resources Leader designation, he offers expertise in strategic financial management, governance, and organizational leadership.
The hiring of a CAO and General Counsel strengthens the Service’s senior leadership capacity in two critical areas: corporate administration and legal governance. These roles report directly to Chief Truong.
The evolution of the Executive Director role to a Chief Governance Officer strengthens the Board’s governance capacity. Ms. Johanssen previously served as the Executive Director of the Vancouver Police Board and is set to graduate from the Queen’s University Smith School of Business Executive MBA program in May 2026. In her new position as CGO of the Board, Ms. Johanssen’s responsibilities have been enhanced around executive-level governance strategy, policy development, risk and compliance oversight, and long-term planning.
The Board also approved extensions to the Deputy Chief contracts, ensuring continuity at the executive level and supporting ongoing operational stability and transformation. Deputy Bastien was appointed to the Deputy position in April 2022 and now serves as the Deputy Chief of Community Safety and Specialized Investigations. Deputy MacSween was appointed in April 2024 and now serves as the Deputy Chief of Organizational Wellness and Performance. Both Deputy Bastien and Deputy MacSween have played key roles in the Service’s modernization.
“There is a clear alignment between the Board’s strategic vision and the Chief’s execution,” the Chair added. “Together, they support effective service delivery today and position the Service to meet future challenges.”
The London Police Service Board will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective delivery of public safety and to position the Service as a leader in policing in the Province of Ontario.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
