WRPS Chief announces retirement

Waterloo Region’s Chief of Police is retiring this summer.The announcement was made by Chair Tom Galloway, on behalf of the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board this morning.

Matt Torigian’s retirement is effective June 8th.

He has been selected by the Ontario Government to become the Deputy Minister of Community Safety for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

“The opportunity presented itself, I was asked. These opportunities don’t come very often, probably once in a career. That made it that much more difficult because it wasn’t something I had thought about. I gave it great consideration and it just seemed like the right thing to do, and probably the right time.”

The Deputy Minister of Community Safety overseas a number of responsibilities and programs, including the OPP, office of public safety, the fire marshal’s office, chief coroner and pathology services, and public safety training.

Torigian says as humbling and honouring as it is, “it’s directly related to the work and the achievements that the members of this Police Service have accomplished over the last number of year. It’s the community itself and the great partnerships and the great work that’s been done here as well as the Police Services Board.”

Tom Galloway is the Chair of the Police Services Board.

“I think it speaks very well certainly for him, but also for our service here in Waterloo Region that a lot of the things we’re doing here are thought to be right and they want to get that expertise in Toronto.”

The Waterloo Regional Police Services Board will convene shortly to consider interim responsibilities and recruitment of a new Chief of Police.