‘We need to be considering all the tools that have been put at our disposal’: Cobourg’s new police chief
- 21 hours ago
- 7 min read
Stabilizing, repurposing command also tops new chief’s to-do list
By editor/reporter Sarah Hyatt
There’s a new chief in town tasked with a lengthy to-do list for Cobourg.
On July 23, 2026, Chris Leather was sworn in as the 14th Chief of Police for the Cobourg Police Service.
Recently, the Independent sat down with Leather to delve into how he found his way to Cobourg and his priorities in his new position, which he assumed June 1. Leather brings 36 years’ experience to his new role.
“While I spent over 21 years with the RCMP, I actually spent the first almost 15 years with York Regional Police,” said Leather, explaining his “roots are in municipal policing.”
He started as a uniformed officer, then plainclothes and shifted to intelligence. It was also in York Region where he was initially seconded to the RCMP for three years before transitioning to the RCMP in 2004. For the first few years, his work remained York- and GTA-based extensively in national security, he said.
“It became a passion of mine, having first been exposed to that in the days after 9/11 because I happened to be in intelligence at the time.”
From there, Leather stayed in national security for the RCMP but shifted to British Columbia as an operations officer. After three years, he was back in Toronto as the GTA commander in charge of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – “a long-time combined forces unit that investigates organized crime.”
He said he then transitioned to a criminal operations officer post in 2019 in Nova Scotia for three years and then international headquarters, which included a short stint in federal transformation and a longer stint as a director-general for national security. Then, he moved to London as a criminal operations officer for Ontario.
At this point in his career, he said he was tasked with responsibilities around two national security units, sensitive international investigations, organized crime, border integrity, the CFSEU and Integrated Market Enforcement Team.
He anticipates partnerships and networks he’s been able to establish – along with his time in Ottawa, which brought him in touch with federal agencies and counterparts – will be beneficial in his new post.
His resume also includes work with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the organized crime committee as chair and co-chair.
“That also brings you into regular contact with your police leadership, but also political leaders, (the) fentanyl czar, (and) the minister of public safety, who (all) lean heavily on those committees for advice on legislative change, advocacy, and things like that.”
His last “very busy” RCMP position he maintained for two years before “retiring” at the end of April – or at least he thought.
With his roots in municipal policing, he shared this was part of the attraction to Cobourg.
When asked about retiring and then choosing Cobourg, he said after 36 years he felt he’d accomplished his goals. He envisioned a break for a few months, then maybe looking at some other opportunities – and then Cobourg happened, which had “a personal interest to me.”
“My wife’s parents lived here for over 20 years … my mother-in-law still resides here …”
When his boys were younger, they used to visit Cobourg to spend time with their grandparents.
“I just remember coming many, many times to visit, to become familiar with the town, various celebrations, (on) July 1st, et cetera. We really formed a strong bond with Cobourg.”
When the chief’s job came up, he thought: “I’ll throw my hat in the ring and who knows?”
He believes his senior executive policing experience played a role securing the post. While he never held the role of chief before, he served as a chief superintendent where he had 700-800 members under his command through several program lines, he said.
Leather shared he’s missed “the community connection” in municipal policing, noting in federal policing, you’re often “working in the shadows.”
However, he acknowledges there are challenges to tackle.
While it’s still early days, he’s noted several priorities – from stabilizing command to earning members and the community’s trust – and that’s not all.
Coming into the role, Leather said he did his homework and has since met with leaders, staff, board members, residents, et cetera.
“Some of the things that have come up repeatedly across almost all those folks universally is safety,” he said, while touching on concerns with open-air drug use in public spaces driven by an ongoing toxic drug crisis.
He described common reports of “nuisance gatherings” and “heightened” calls this time of year.
In terms of police’s role, Leather shared additional patrols in “hotspots” have been implemented and plans to work closer with bylaw enforcement focusing on these issues.
He said addressing concerns around public safety and issues regarding substance use in public spaces is upfront.
However, he also acknowledged the layered complexities of intersecting crises under housing and homelessness and the opioid epidemic – which can be tied at times, but not exclusively.
And in the cases of colliding crises – recognizing responsibilities aren’t restricted to policing, and several advocates and agencies maintain a more co-ordinated health-related approach is needed to tackle root causes – the Independent asked how the chief plans to address concerns.
Working with experts will be part of the equation, he responded, adding he also sees part of his responsibilities to inform the public on what police can and can’t do. With several jurisdictions wrestling with similar issues for years, there isn’t a silver bullet because it is a multifaceted, multijurisdictional response requirement, he explained.
He alluded to a coming community announcement, with messaging centred around work planned with bylaw.
“I think it’s important in that message that both will have perhaps a law-and-order tone to it – or at least part of it will – because there is an expectation of responsibility the police have for law enforcement. It will also recognize the importance of support and social assistance ... and providing people who are down-and-out with those conduits and connectivity points, which … I know this service and others have been doing.”
The service is also looking at some “novel enforcement approaches” within the Provincial Offences Act for the most, or the highest echelon of repeat offenders in town, he said, adding this isn’t to be confused with the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and Criminal Code of Canada, with these incidents dealt with by police intervention and charges.
“But where we have the nuisance gatherings, the trespass of property, the public intoxication by alcohol, liquor licence issues, (and when) we have the 10, 12 or 14 repeat offenders – and I’m told by our members and bylaw we have some who have violated dozens and dozens of times for the same offences – we’ll look at other methods in conjunction with the courts to address those things.
“There are provisions within provincial legislation to deal with the most serious repeat offenders.”
Leather also noted this is just one example the service plans to explore, which he might categorize as “novel/not often used.”
“I believe we’re at a time and place where we need to be considering all the tools that have been put at our disposal both by the provincial and federal governments, (and) here, especially the provincial. When the government of the day provides us with those additional tools, they expect the police and those with law enforcement powers to use them with discretion.”
It’s Leather’s hope the service will look at all options and still maintain supports and help people connect with social services. He noted his top people are being dedicated to finding solutions, and staff have also been tasked with completing a “meta-analysis” of similar-sized services around their public safety planning relating to policing.
“We have other jurisdictions that have plans and methods. We’re studying those and we’re going to try to come up with something (that) meets and mirrors the needs of this community. That will take a bit of time because we want to get it right.”
He also made a comment about “managing expectations.”
“I think there’s an expectation with a new sheriff in town that we’re going to come out and we’re going to start laying down the law. I am going to come out with an announcement in coming weeks ... but I guess I would want to say to the community (that) it will be a balanced approach, but I will expect the officers to use those tools at their disposal to deal with these issues.”
Otherwise, he said, when asked by “our political masters” if the service hasn’t done an effective job exploring all options/methods and done that analysis, “it doesn’t leave me or us in a very good position when we’re making counterarguments or we’re trying to provide a counter-narrative to some of the uninformed commentary that’s out there.”
Leather shared he’d prefer to respond from a position of knowledge, authority and analysis. However, he warned it cannot be done overnight.
And there’s no shortage of additional areas of concern, including the intimate partner violence epidemic – “a major issue for all policing jurisdictions.”
“We’re not immune here,” noted Leather, adding work will continue with key local partners to protect victims, provide supports and tackle education.
Road safety is another area residents can expect action on, he said.
Under leadership, Leather hopes to fill out the team quickly.
“We hope to have the deputy (chief) in place by September-October, depending on where they’re coming from, as well as on the operational side, a new inspector will be taking up a position there as well to help stabilize and repurpose command with the Cobourg police.”
The next strategic planning exercise is coming up in the fall, and he hopes the public make their voices heard.