The Cobourg Police Service is making history.
The Cobourg Police Services Board announced Thursday that Superintendent Tina Maier has been selected as the next Deputy Chief of the Cobourg Police Service — making her the first woman to serve in the Service’s senior command.
Maier brings more than 30 years of policing experience to Cobourg, most recently serving as Superintendent and Bureau Commander of the Ontario Provincial Police Security Bureau.
For Police Services Board Chair Adam Bureau, the appointment represents an important step in rebuilding and strengthening the Service’s senior leadership team following Chief Chris Leather’s arrival in June.
“When Chief Chris Leather joined the Cobourg Police Service in June, one of the board’s immediate priorities was to recruit a deputy chief who could help strengthen our senior leadership and help guide the organization into the future,” Bureau said.
The Board conducted an extensive recruitment process looking for someone with operational policing experience, leadership ability and a vision for a modern, accountable and community-focused police service.
Bureau said Maier’s background made her stand out.
“Tina brings more than 30 years of policing experience and an impressive record of leadership within the Ontario Provincial Police,” he said.
Her career has included complex investigations, specialized provincial programs, organizational change initiatives and member wellness programs. She has also worked in operational policing, business leadership, risk management, governance and strategic planning.
Her appointment also represents a historic first for Cobourg Police.
“Her appointment also marks a historic moment for the Cobourg Police Service as she becomes the first woman to serve in the Service’s senior command,” Bureau said.
Chief Chris Leather said rebuilding a strong command team has been one of his priorities since taking over as Chief.
“One of the most significant priorities has been to reestablish a strong command team, including identifying the right person to serve as deputy chief and help lead the service through its next chapters,” Leather said.
As Deputy Chief, Maier will provide executive oversight in areas including human resources, finance, business services, strategic initiatives and organizational performance.
Maier told Today’s Northumberland that her new position will also include oversight of the Business Services Unit and the Criminal Investigations Branch.
While that represents a somewhat different role from her most recent positions with the OPP, she said her extensive investigative and administrative experience provides a strong foundation.
“It’s not often that you have a police leader who also has an administrative background, and I have that as well,” Maier said.
A return to an area she knows
Maier said Cobourg is not unfamiliar territory.
“When I was a child, my parents used to bring me here to the waterfront when I was little and then I started bringing my kids here when they were small as well,” she told Today’s Northumberland.
Maier currently lives outside Cobourg in Port Perry.
Born in England, she began her policing career in Petrolia and Peterborough before moving through increasingly senior positions with the OPP.
Her career included work as a detective and online undercover operator with the Child Sexual Exploitation Section, as well as leadership roles with the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Provincial Anti-Terrorism Unit, Provincial Traffic Operations and Security Bureau.
She also previously served as Superintendent of the OPP’s Healthy Workplace Team, where she led the development and implementation of member wellness and mental-health programs.
Maier said she had been preparing to retire from the OPP when the Cobourg position came up.
“I was ready to retire from the OPP,” she said. “I’m very grateful for the experiences I’ve had in the OPP and I’ve been very, very lucky, but I wasn’t ready to stop helping in policing and this was the perfect combination for me.”
There is another connection to Cobourg Police that could make the transition easier.
Maier and Leather had previously worked together and crossed paths during their policing careers.
“I didn’t know if you remembered me actually,” Maier said.
Leather said he remembered her from meetings while he was with the RCMP and she was working with the OPP.
“I’m good with faces, maybe not so much with names,” Leather joked.
But he clearly remembered the work they had done together.
Leather said Maier had been involved in discussions surrounding complex cross-border issues and described her as “an excellent ambassador for the OPP.”
He believes her extensive OPP connections will benefit Cobourg Police.
“That 30-plus-year career with the OPP will bode well for Cobourg Police because she has extensive connections with the OPP at the command level and also regionally here,” Leather said.
Cobourg Police already has a strong relationship with the OPP and the surrounding policing community, he said, and Maier’s arrival will strengthen those connections.
“It’s a win-win for the Service,” Leather said.
“I wasn’t ready to stop”
For Maier, the move is about continuing a career she isn’t ready to leave behind.
“I’m very, very much looking forward to this role,” she said.
She described the opportunity to join Cobourg Police as an honour and a privilege.
“It’s an honour and privilege to be here and to be chosen for this role,” Maier said.
“I’m excited to join Cobourg Police Service and work alongside Chief Leather, this board and the dedicated members of this organization as we continue to push forward and advance the Service’s commitment to community safety, public trust and organizational excellence.”
Maier holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from York University and has completed executive leadership programs including the Global Policing Innovation Exchange, Rotman School of Management Executive Police Leadership Program and Leading Transformational Change.
She is also the recipient of the Women’s Leadership Award and is a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, one of Canada’s highest honours in policing.
Bureau said the Board is confident Maier and Leather will form a strong leadership team.
The new Deputy Chief will officially take up her duties on November 2.
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
