Jeff Haskins is Cobourg Police Services Deputy Chief-designate

October 25, 2021

In late June, Jeff Haskins was attracted to a posting on the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) website for Deputy Chief of Cobourg Police Services (CPS).

“I didn’t know a whole lot about Cobourg at the time,” the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) Inspector said. “I knew it’s about 30 minutes down the street from Durham and we have had a longstanding partnership with their police service and Port Hope as we have done use of force training with the members there.”

Impressed with some of the Service’s progressive programs and the efficiency with which they were managed, Haskins applied for the job and was successful.

“Jeff comes to our Service as a proven leader in the policing community,” said Cobourg Police Services Board Chair Dean Pepper. “His experience with several complex portfolios will be of value in his new role as the Board and the Service continue to strive for operational excellence and innovation in policing. His skill set and progressive approach to policing will engage our external partners and advance our community policing model.”

The Policetech Accelerator at Venture 13 is a joint initiative of the CPS and Northumberland Futures Community Development Corporation that’s actively developing a pipeline of innovative policing technologies and best practices for community safety in Ontario and around the world.

The Venture 13 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre in Cobourg brings together early-stage entrepreneurs and innovation partners to connect, empower and accelerate new ventures.

Last November, CPS received $200,000 from the province through the Ontario Closed Circuit Television grant program to support a project to implement a mesh network paired with an advanced analytical solution. This will lay the foundation for a scalable mesh ecosystem aimed at prevention interdiction and enforcement for enhanced community well-being.

A total of 35 uniformed officers, 20 special constables and 47 civilians make up the town’s police service.

“Quite often when you think about a smaller Service and you think that you are an agent of change, you will have to convince people to evolve,” said Haskins who, with Peter Cousins, made history four years ago by becoming DRPS’s first Black senior officers. “When I started to do my research on Cobourg, I found that innovation and progressive leadership is part of their DNA.”

Unlike other police services whose Special Constables are responsible for the custody and transportation of prisoners, including persons in custody awaiting treatment at a medical facility, Cobourg’s Special Constables role are expanded to include foot patrol, liquor license enforcement and forensic & identification duties.

“That allows the frontline officers to be able to focus on some of the more complex police-related issues,” said Haskins. “They make and use every position to its full potential. When you are looking at an organization as a potential opportunity, what appealed to me was that ability to allow for us to co-create public safety in a way that may differ from some of the traditions. That’s what drew me to the Service and I was fortunate to be selected.”

CPS’s Corporate Services is the largest wholesaler of online third-party criminal record checks in Canada. Funding to operate the Corporate Services Division is 100 per cent generated through revenue.

Last year, the $3.5 million revenue covered all of the Service’s capital spending.

“The overall impact on the taxpayer is reduced because 25 per cent of their overall budget yearly is offset by this division,” Haskins, who was hired as a cadet by DRPS in 1991, said. “So when you think about creating business models and finding ways to make sure that you provide excellent service at the least possible cost to the taxpayer, Cobourg found a few different ways to achieve that.”

In a variety of administrative and operational portfolios throughout his career, he led transformational change within the police service, making many significant contributions to the profession.

Haskins served in the Intelligence Branch, Professional Standards Unit, the Equity & Inclusion Unit and the Regional Duty Inspector office and was the East and West Divisional Commander. He was also seconded to the Ministry of the Solicitor General (now the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services) as an Auditor.

In addition, he spearheaded the DRPS 2017-2019 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan and was a member of multiple internal and community-focussed committees, including the Diversity Advisory, Durham Vision Zero Road Safety and the Body-Worn Camera.

Haskins completed Humber College’s Police Foundations program, a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Justice Studies from the University of Guelph and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Global Studies program.

The Deputy Chief-designate starts his new duties on November 1.