Devin Laforce

Responsibilities:

• In command of the Criminal Investigations Division (major crimes, organized crime, and CFSEU Edmonton), Investigative Support Division (forensic sciences, investigative services, and Investigations Branch), and the Operational Support Division (field response, incident command, and traffic safety). This includes nearly 800 staff members, made up of sworn police officers, civilians, and contract employees.
• Providing executive and organizational-level governance, strategic planning, and management for the Bureau, including establishing Bureau plans and objectives, monitoring standards of performance, prioritizing work, and providing final approval of policies and procedures. This includes attending, presenting, and being available to answer questions for the EPS governance board, Mayor, and Council as required.
• Promoting a sense of engagement, collaboration, inclusion, and positive achievements within the Bureau.
• Effectively managing a significant operational budget, which demonstrates stewardship of financial resources. Approximate operating budget of $100M.
• Continuously reviewing and analyzing policing operations to ensure the efficient use of operational and capital funding.
• Participating on formal, executive-level decision-making committees that develop and approve EPS-wide policies, procedures, processes, strategies, plans, and objectives.
• Ensuring comprehensive human resources planning for all employees to build appropriate continuity of operations, succession planning, and performance management, utilizing the EPS's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Effectively planning for and responding to changing trends and demands on policing, and the communities EPS serves.
• Participated in meetings with stakeholders to discuss program objectives and strategies.
• Acting as the Chief of Police, as required.

Selected Achievements:

• Restructured Bureau resources to balance support of patrol investigations, while focusing on violent crime and firearms offenses.
• Redeveloped the Guns and Gangs Strategy to incorporate focused deterrence, the leveraging of diversion and off-ramping, along with increased enforcement activities. This included obtaining increased resources from both a federal grant and new provincial funding.
• Evaluated and expanded the EPS drone program to initiate drones as a first responder.
• Worked with the EPS data science team and was the investigative lead to successfully obtain DRDC grant funding for an AI project to analyze unstructured data in the context of financial and organized crime. This included multiple agencies, including those from other countries, and multiple universities from across Canada.
• Influenced the expansion of Rapid DNA solutions to the Calgary Police Service and Vancouver Police Department. Developed and chaired a committee under the AACP to standardize forensic biology processes across Alberta.
• Succession planned with my teams to include involvement of them on the MCCA-IC, CACP OCC, CIROC, CACP CTNS, and CACP Traffic committees.
• Mentored Superintendents, Inspectors, and civilian executives on the Canadian Police College Executive Development Program as a Fellow.
• Mentored a senior police executive through the AACP Mentorship program.
• Numerous conference presentations, public presentations, and town halls, and media interviews as regularly required.
• Chiefs Committee representative on the Respectful Workplace Committee with HRD, Harassment, and Professional Standards.
• 2024 Chiefs Committee representative for collective bargaining with the Edmonton Police Association.
• Led through a number of challenges that include large scale protests, complex organized crime attacks from out of country, a terror attack on city hall, and tragic line of duty deaths involving firearms trafficking.

Responsibilities:

• Sought out, due to past performance and demonstrated abilities, to lead and develop a novel police interface with private businesses designed to impact Edmonton's social ecosystem. Telus Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator (CSW-A), powered by Alchemist X. In 2024, there has been 6 cohorts and over 100 new startups through the program. Many achieve success and obtain venture capital, and expand into Edmonton.
• In charge of Community Solutions Accelerator Branch, Evaluation and Impact Section, Research and Innovation Section, Inspector seconded to Alberta Provincial Police Service initiative, and the CSW-A. Created division structure and acquired resources to support needed functions.
• Developing relationships and working closely with the Edmonton Police Foundation, Alberta Innovates, Innovate Edmonton, Alchemist X, large corporations, business improvement areas, City of Edmonton, and business councils.
• Connecting accelerated businesses to internal EPS stakeholders for data and knowledge purposes. Connecting to not-for-profit community stakeholders, such as the Bissell Centre, YWCA, Stan Daniels Healing Centre, Family Centre, Youth Empowerment & Support Services, the Boyle McCauley Health Centre, and REACH.
• Identifying new technologies for potential implementation.
• Collaborate with other national and international police agencies and academic institutions on a variety of artificial intelligence and machine learning policing initiatives.

Selected Achievements:

• Built a new relationship for the EPS with MITACS, allowing a force multiplier by hiring post-graduate students to work within the EPS while finishing their studies.
• Developed a new relationship with Norquest College to allow for practicum students to work in a policing community safety environment.
• Redesigned the Research and Innovation Section to build organizational capacity to evaluate and implement 'ideas' from bottom-up and top-down EPS, as well as externally. Included implementing the innovation strategy.
• Redesigned the monitoring and supporting of research protocols. Allowed for the expansion from a few to nearly 20 academic partnerships.
• Designed and facilitated a strategic planning day for the Division to ensure alignment of activities to organizational priorities, adherence to change management principles, readjustment of mandates, capacity building, and to fill succession planning gaps.
• Built a multi-agency, multi-stakeholder team made up of researchers, private businesses, Alberta Innovates, the EPS, and the community to measure public value and social impact of CSW-A.
• Supported and facilitated community challenges to engage community and work with police to come up with novel solutions. This included a catalytic converter challenge (2022) and crypto fraud challenge (2024).

Responsibilities:

• Led over 300 members of the Edmonton Police Service. In charge of the Forensic Sciences Branch (CSI, Forensic Identification, and Digital Forensics), Investigative Support Branch (Covert Operations and Investigative Services), and Investigative Management Branch (Arrest Approval, Detainee Care, and Charge Report Management).
• Led the Division by inspiring others and building effective and inclusive teams, reducing low-value demand on the membership, managing change, and ensuring strategic alignment to organizational goals.
• Managed the largest budget in the Investigation and Support Services Bureau. Over $40M annual budget. Ensured costs were controlled, and variance trends were predicted and monitored. Allowed for savings to be reallocated toward investigative projects and technology upgrades.
• Expanded cross-functional organizational capacity by collaborating across departments on priorities, functions, and common goals.
• Management of Bureau priorities and Divisional risks.
• Obtained required training and functioned as a senior official, involving covert operations as required.
• Obtained Top Secret security clearance and participated on various committees, such as the Major City Chiefs Intelligence Commander and provincial Joint Management Team - INSET.

Selected Achievements:

• Implemented various innovations to solving crime, including the creation of a Firearms Examination Unit, rapid DNA, and facial recognition technologies.
• Supported the development and implementation of online reporting for hate incidents.
• Supported redevelopment of the Legal Support Unit, wire-room staffing, and electronic surveillance unit to build needed capacity.
• Led the remodeling of various processes surrounding arrest charge approval and the processing of detainees.
• Chair of an organizational-level project to address investigation and report quality.
• Worked with human resources to incorporate team leadership development among all supervisors in the Division.
• Coached and mentored three new Inspectors during tenure.

Responsibilities:

• Led Major Collision Investigations Section, Specialized Traffic Operations Section, and Forensic Services Section. 116 employees.
• Review and report on Service Vehicle Collisions.
• Participation on committees such as the CACP Traffic Safety Committee, the AACP Traffic Working Group, SVC Steering Committee, facial recognition working group, and the RCMP Regional Client Consultation Committee.
• Responsible for stakeholder relations with the Government of Alberta Office of Traffic Safety, and the City of Edmonton Traffic Safety Section.

Selected Achievements:

• Supported change in traffic, such as the transition of 3 MCIU squads to 4. This increased working coverage and decreased on-call time. Further changes decreased checkstop overtime, and the amount of time roads were closed during investigations.
• Advanced a project plan, working with the Organized Crime Branch, and provided direction on how to best develop a Firearms Examination Unit that utilizes IBIS within the Forensic Identification Services Section.

Responsibilities:

• Sought out to co-chair this committee based on past work performance, systems thinking, and ability to be objectively analytical. Co-led the committee to research and develop the necessary organizational structure to allow reform and modernization of the EPS.
• Worked as part of a collaborative team to engage all areas of the EPS, solicit opinions, conduct cursory evaluations of unit performance, and recommend decisions aligned with the Chief's vision.
• This includes working with internal business areas such as Value and Impact Division, Human Resources Division, Innovation and Technology, Facilities, and Finance for timing and logistics.
• Incorporated change management principles to help navigate the large magnitude of change for impacted areas.

Selected Achievements:

• Researched and obtained support for the approach and underlying principles guiding change. Completed reporting and made 50 recommendations as part of a team to Chiefs Committee.
• Identified gaps in data and process mapping to describe and justify how resourcing both the Community Safety and Well-Being Bureau, as well as patrol, were necessary.
• Championed an objective evaluation of the Strategic Traffic Apprehension Teams, which ultimately led to moving this function from traffic to patrol.

Responsibilities:

• Led Recruit Training Section, Training Section, and Employee Development Section. Approximately 60 staff, 60 recruits, located in 5 separate EPS facilities.
• Managed a large, complex budget that included organizational equipment and organizational course funding.
• Reported on all EPS Use of Force and Criminal Flights to the EPC.
• Co-chaired AACP sub-committees on Use of Force and Investigative Skills.
• Ceremonial and speaking duties at a variety of recruit functions.
• Acting Superintendent of Human Resources Division, as needed.

Selected Achievements:

• Developed and launched the 2019 Inspector Promotion Process.
• Initiated work of integrating a GBA+ systems approach into EPS training programs.
• Completed Branch re-organization and acquired resources to build effective approaches to address organizational needs. This included splitting a section and the development of a Driver Training Unit.
• Coordinated strategic alignment and collaboration among Branch Sections and other stakeholders with organizational priorities.
• Managed a complex project of redeveloping and implementing a new recruit training program.
• Led a large EPS team to develop and launch training pertaining to the legalization of Cannabis.
• Expansion of ISEP course offerings and supported advanced investigative training.
• EPS operational lead for the indoor shooting range capital project with the City of Edmonton.
• Identified and drove the change of swearing in recruits from the beginning of training to the end of training. Allowed for greater retention and tailoring specific remedial skill development for recruits with performance concerns.