Halifax names first Black police chief
HALIFAX, N.S. — Halifax regional council announced Tuesday that Deputy Chief Don MacLean will take over as the region’s acting chief of police.
He will succeed outgoing chief Dan Kinsella on Friday and will remain in the role until a permanent replacement for Kinsella is chosen.
MacLean served as the deputy chief of operations since 2020, with a policing career dating back to 1993. He becomes the force’s first Black police chief.
Before serving as deputy chief, MacLean was the superintendent of the patrol division and was the first diversity officer for Halifax Regional Police from 2004-06.
He is a member of the board of directors for St. John Ambulance Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island Council and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for Phoenix Youth and holds the position of co-chair of the Wortley Report, which examined the relationship between race and street checks in the municipality.
The municipality plans to start the search for the next chief of police this fall through an executive search firm. The process is expected to take several months.
