The new police chief and deputy police chief of the Belleville Police Service were sworn-in at a ceremony at the Quinte Courthouse on Monday.
Justice Elaine Deluzio lead the ceremony that saw Murray Rodd sworn-in as Belleville’s Chief of Police and Sheri Meeks sworn in as Belleville’s Deputy Chief of Police.
The two were welcomed into their roles by Acting Chair of the Belleville Police Services Board, Heather Smith, while also being presented with their new badges.
Acting Chief of Police Chris Barry also gave welcoming remarks to the two and wished them success in their new roles.
Rodd takes over for Barry who will be retiring effective October 7.
The new chief served a 35-year career with Peterborough Police Service, including a decade as the Chief of Police for Peterborough, before retiring in 2018.
Rodd tells media after the ceremony why he decided to come out of retirement and rejoin the policing world.
“Policing has always been what I enjoyed the most. I’ve done other things, but I’ve always enjoyed policing, and I wasn’t ready to retire,” Rodd tells media.
” I (saw) the opportunity with the new Police Services Act and the new opportunities to come with that in terms of professionalizing the policing in Ontario and I wanted to be part of that with a service on a scope and scale similar to what I was used to (in Peterborough). So Belleville came open, and it’s a good opportunity.”
Rodd says he is looking forward to getting to work in the community.
“I’m very honored to be part of this organization, a very professional organization by all measures, and just very exciting to be part of a growing community with a very progressive leadership, you know, with council and a wonderful board,” Rodd says.
“(There’s) a lot of community partners that I hope to get busy with very shortly.”
New Chief of Police for Belleville, Murray Rodd, speaking with the gallery after being sworn-in. September 16, 2024. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Joining the leadership ranks is Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks who is the first female deputy chief of police in the service’s history.
She has spent 28 years with Belleville Police in a variety of assignments at every level of the organization, including Acting Deputy Chief.
Meeks has worked with Rodd in the past on several committees including on the education, training and professional development side of policing and says that partnership will help the two work together in their new roles.
“With my community knowledge and his experience as a leader and as a chief, I’m going to learn lots from him, and I’m sure, in the same breath, he’s going to learn from me about our community and what some of the challenges are and our membership.” Meeks tells media.
Meeks says she is proud to be the first female deputy chief of Belleville Police, saying she hopes in the future that women in leadership roles isn’t considered an anomaly.
“The women in policing thing has been a passion close to my heart for the last four years in trying to recruit females to this profession,” Meeks said.
“I think any opportunity that you have those diverse perspectives at the table, men, women, different cultures, different ideas, it only makes a community and a police service, stronger, or any company for that matter. So I’m proud that I’m here today, but I think that I’d like to get to a point where it’s not the focus point anymore and it’s just women grow up and go ‘I want to be a police officer. I see that as a as a career option,’ when maybe they didn’t (see that) when they were younger.”
New Deputy Chief of Police, Sheri Meeks, being sworn-in to her new role. September 16, 2024. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Several guests and local dignitaries were in attendance for the ceremony including Belleville mayor Neil Ellis, former Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith, former Belleville police chief Mike Callaghan, and members of the Belleville Police Services Board among others.
