Calgary now officially has a new police chief.

Mark Neufeld accepted the role in a formal ceremony at the new downtown library on Monday.

Neufeld, who was the chief of the Camrose Police Service for two years, takes over the job from Roger Chaffin, who stepped down 2½ years before his contract expired amidst ongoing controversies within the service, particularly in the realm of human resources.

Last September, the new head of HR — hired to tackle those toxic workplace allegations — announced she was resigning after just a few months on the job due to what she described as dictatorship-style leadership.

Steve Barlow had been interim chief since Chaffin stepped away in October last year.

New chief's resume

The police commission recommended Neufeld to city council after considering candidates who applied from across the country.

Among many achievements listed on Monday, the new chief has a master's degree in criminology from Cambridge University and served in an HR role for a period of his 24-year-long career with the Edmonton Police Service.

He has served on provincial policing boards, and worked with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, which investigates allegations of excessive force within Alberta police forces and deaths within custody.

Looking forward

In his speech to the gathered crowd on Monday, Neufeld hinted at the problems of the past and that he would work to heal rifts within the service.

"Whether sworn civilian, frontline or investigative, uniformed or plain-clothed, halfway through a recruit class or decades into your service, no matter who or where you are in this organization, your contributions matter," he said.

"Indeed, you matter and I want every person to feel connected and valued when they come to work."

When it was announced in March that he would be the new chief, Neufeld said he was aware of some of the morale problems within the service.

Neufeld says police often encounter hardships in their duties and must realize that not much separates officers from those who are suffering.

"We must respond with hope, kindness and understanding to all that we bear witness to in service of Calgarians," he said. "We must also extend that same compassion to the people we work with."