Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee announces he’ll retire in February

The police chief in Alberta’s capital is planning to retire in February.

The Edmonton Police Commission says it would determine the hiring process for Dale McFee’s replacement in the coming months.

McFee was sworn in as Edmonton’s 23rd police chief five years ago.

The police commission says it hired McFee to make changes.

McFee told The Canadian Press in a 2023 interview that the force managed to strike a balance between protecting the vulnerable and holding people accountable in the first few years of his tenure. But he said the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing mental health crisis disrupted those efforts.

In a Wednesday statement, McFee thanked the commission for fighting alongside the service “through some tumultuous times.”

“Together we have been impatient for progress but steadfast in a shared belief about the EPS and the community we serve,” he said.