Posted:
(2 p.m.)
Halifax Regional Police is pleased to announce that effective immediately Sergeant Scott MacDonald will fill the role of HRM's Public Safety Officer on an interim basis.
Sgt. MacDonald has been a police officer with Halifax Regional Police for 13 years. He started his policing career as a patrol constable and later worked as a school officer and community officer before being promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2007. As a sergeant, he was a shift supervisor and has been the Officer-in-Charge of the Community Relations & Crime Prevention Section for the past 3 1/2 years. He is a member of the HRM Pension Committee and sits on the Union Executive of the Halifax Regional Police Association. He has two degrees, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce, both from Dalhousie University. He has also completed the Rotman School of Business Board Effectiveness Program at the University of Toronto, and is currently enrolled in the Canadian Police Association Executive Leadership Program.
Sgt. MacDonald replaces Superintendent Don Spicer who retired last week after more than 34 1/2 years in policing. Sgt. MacDonald has reported to Supt. Spicer for the past 3 1/2 years and worked alongside him on many public safety initiatives. As a result, Sgt. MacDonald has a keen sense of the position and its partnerships.
"In his role as Public Safety Officer over the last four years, Don has worked tirelessly to address the root causes of crime and implemented many innovative campaigns to further our work in this regard. He also created the first-ever public safety strategic plan for HRM and established many working groups that continue to collaborate on issues such as race relations, affordable housing and the harmful use of alcohol," said Chief Jean-Michel (JM) Blais. "He leaves a legacy of having completed 87% of the 64 recommendations in the Mayor’s Roundtable on Violence Report with work on the remaining 13% being in various stages of implementation."
We wish Sgt. MacDonald well in his interim role as Public Safety Officer and Don Spicer all the best in his retirement and new position as Executive Director of Shelter Nova Scotia, an organization dedicated to eradicating homelessness and the associated socio-economic factors. "Homelessness is directly related to some of the root causes of crime and is therefore inextricably connected to public safety in our community. Sgt. MacDonald will undoubtedly work with Don as a community partner to further the work of the Public Safety Office," said Chief Blais.