OPP NEWS RELEASE
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Chris Lewis to step down as OPP Commissioner
Lewis to retire in March 2014
Commissioner Chris Lewis will retire from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on March 28, 2014, after a career spanning 35 years.
Lewis joined the OPP in 1978 and began his career as a Provincial Constable in Kapuskasing.
He has since served across the province in a variety of front-line, specialized and management positions.
Among his accomplishments, Lewis is the first police officer to have been awarded all three levels of the Canadian Order of Merit of the Police Forces, presented by three successive Governors General.
Since his appointment as OPP Commissioner in August 2010, Lewis has demonstrated professional integrity and personal leadership through a number of initiatives and investigations.
He is responsible for creating and enhancing operational relationships with police leaders in Ontario, as well as at the national and international level, through the Ontario, Canadian and International Associations of Chiefs of Police.
Commissioner Lewis has been educated in Aboriginal government and law and is a graduate of the FBI's National Executive Institute Program.
He remains a strong advocate for community-based initiatives, including the United Way and the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics.
A search for Commissioner Lewis's replacement will begin immediately.
Quick facts
The OPP was created in 1909 and has approximately 6,200 uniformed officers and 2,800 civilian employees and 850 Auxiliary members - one of North America’s largest deployed police services.
Commissioner Lewis is the 13th Commissioner of the OPP (its 14th leader) and the first to be born and raised in Northern Ontario.
Learn more
Find out more about the Ontario Provincial Police.
Quotes
"I want to thank Commissioner Lewis for a lifetime of outstanding service over his long and distinguished career. He should be proud of the significant contribution he has made to ensuring Ontario remains safe, strong and prosperous." - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
"Commissioner Lewis’ reputation among the officers who have served with him is unparalleled and speaks to the leadership and dedication that have been the hallmark of his career. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him and I want to thank him for all he has done to uphold the law and keep Ontario families safe." - Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
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