Federico brings fresh focus to Sarnia police transition

Interim Sarnia Police Chief Mike Federico says his top priorities are stability, trust and community relationships as he steps into the role during Chief Derek Davis’s workplace harassment investigation.

Sarnia’s incoming interim police chief says his focus will be on stabilizing the service, maintaining public confidence and building relationships during a period of transition for the city’s police force.

In an interview with reporter Josh Boyce on the Sarnia-Lambton Beyond the Headlines podcast, Mike Federico discussed his mandate and the role he will play as Sarnia’s interim police chief. Federico begins the role on June 15. He is stepping into the position while Chief Derek Davis remains on administrative suspension with pay during a workplace harassment investigation.

Federico said his policing career began at age 20, when he joined the Toronto Police Service. He spent 45 years in policing, retiring after serving his final seven years as deputy chief.

“Like many can expect, policing has a variety of opportunities and exposures and assignments,” Federico said. “I’ve been blessed to work in a variety of capacities.”

Federico said part of his background includes work with provincial policing oversight, including the former Civilian Commission on Police Services, where he served as a senior investigative advisor.

“This was the oversight agency for the administration of policing, or chiefs of police,” he said. “It looked at the actual administration as an institution.”

After retiring in 2019, Federico said he was asked to serve as administrator for the Durham Regional Police Service while the province examined aspects of that police service’s operations.

“My function included overseeing promotions and HR functions and discipline,” he said. “Those functions in the service that deal directly with their own workforce.”

Federico said that experience is part of why he was contacted about the interim role in Sarnia.

“When I received some information that Sarnia was seeking me to help out there, it was in that capacity,” he said. “It was as somebody who has actually served during transition periods for police services in the past. So my experience was sought in terms of the needs of Sarnia right at the moment.”

Federico said his background is focused on “workplace wellness, safety and productivity,” as well as helping members serve in the roles they joined policing to perform.

He said his priorities in Sarnia can be summarized in two broad areas.

“Help stabilize the leadership in Sarnia police during this transition period and build on the good relationships that Sarnia police have developed, both with its own members, but also, just as importantly, with the community,” Federico said. “So those are essentially, in broad terms, what I see my mandate as.”

Federico said the appointment followed discussions with the Sarnia Police Services Board about what he could provide during the transition.

“They had certain expectations, and I informed them of what we’re capable of doing together and how we could work collaboratively,” he said.

He said the board wants to make sure commitments already made by the police service continue without interruption.

“What we wanted to do is make sure that the members of Sarnia can continue to deliver policing to the community uninterrupted and maintain that continuity,” Federico said.

He said that also includes continuing to build relationships in the community.

“We police by consent,” Federico said. “That means we need the community and its broad constituents, across the broad diversity of Sarnia’s community, to work with us, to welcome us as partners in making them safe and well.”

Federico said he intends to spend time meeting directly with community leaders, organizations and residents.

“I will be personally meeting with as many community leaders, influencers, activists as I can, both at the institutional level, so obviously city level, but also at the direct community level,” he said.

Federico said he prefers face-to-face meetings as he begins his work in Sarnia.

“I prefer direct face-to-face contact, so people get to know me personally and I get to know them,” he said. “And we can build a relationship based on familiarity.”

Although the appointment is for one year, with an option to renew, Federico said that is still a meaningful period of time.

“A year is still a significant commitment of time,” he said. “And I think it’s a powerful signal by the board that it is serious about investing its time in maintaining and enhancing these relationships.”

Federico said community partnerships could involve a wide range of police work, including information sharing, education, crime prevention and responding to calls for concern.

He said Sarnia, like other Ontario cities, faces complex issues connected to safety and wellbeing.

“Sarnia, just like every other city in Ontario, has complex needs,” he said, pointing to concerns including “underhousing, food insecurities, homelessness, drug trafficking, organized crime, predatory behaviour.”

“These are all challenges the community faces, and quite right, they turn to the police for assistance,” Federico said.

At the same time, he said Sarnia has a strong community network already in place.

“Sarnia has a good, robust community contribution,” he said. “I want to make sure that none of that’s lost in this transition period, or indeed, momentum doesn’t slow down.”

He said maintaining and increasing that momentum will be an important part of his role.

“If we can maintain the momentum, in fact increase it, I think I’ll have done a good portion of my job,” Federico said.

Federico was also asked about the benefits and challenges of bringing in an outside leader rather than having someone from within the service take on the interim role.

“The obvious one is, I’m a newcomer,” he said. “I’m not a familiar face yet or a familiar known quantity.”

He said that means there will need to be some investment in introductions and trust-building.

“The challenge to convince our community and our members that the board is sincere in moving forward will be one of building trust,” Federico said. “There’s always a risk that in any human encounter there’ll be a little skepticism or insecurity. Well, I’ve got to overcome that and I’ll work to do that.”

Federico said he wants people to feel confident that taking the time to work with him and the service will be worthwhile.

“I want to make sure that people feel that they can have confidence that the investment in time and getting to know me and work with me and the service is worth their while,” he said.

But Federico said coming in from outside also has advantages.

“I do come in without any contextual concern,” he said. “I’ve got an experience in helping services transition, and I’m a fresh face in case anybody felt a little anxious about dealing with the previous administration.”

He said he hopes that fresh start will encourage people to engage with him.

“I hope that is invigorating,” Federico said. “I hope that kind of encourages people to have some faith that they’ll be dealing with somebody that they can get to know on their own terms.”

Federico said people will be dealing with someone who has a clear mandate.

“They’re dealing with somebody with a specific mandate to build on these relationships and have those relationships be productive,” he said.

Federico also addressed the workplace investigation involving Davis in general terms, calling the situation uncommon.

“It’s thankfully not common,” he said. “It’s not unheard of, but it is rare.”

Federico said the board should be recognized for listening to concerns and taking steps to better understand them.

“I want to recognize the board for listening, taking steps to understand what the issue is and then making a decision, some action,” he said.

He stressed the board has not made any finding about the outcome of the investigation.

“They’re quite clear that they’re not making any comment on the outcome of the review,” Federico said. “So it’s not a statement of judgment.”

Federico said residents and police service members can take some comfort in the fact that concerns were heard and action was taken.

“People had concern. The board listened to that concern and has taken action,” he said.

He also said the board has the support of the province during the process.

“That also should be some comfort for the community, that there’s a true partnership and collaboration,” Federico said.

Federico said his appointment is, in some ways, a symbol of the board’s decision to act during the transition.

“I represent the board’s decision,” he said. “So I want to make sure that both our members and our community members feel encouraged by that, that they can be confident that action has been taken, without judging the outcome.”

He said people should not jump to conclusions while the investigation continues.

“I would encourage people not to draw conclusions about any of the concerns about Chief Davis,” Federico said. “That will be something that the review will reveal, and then the board will be presented with the information, the findings and make decisions on that.”

Federico said he has no role in the investigation itself.

“That’s not my mandate,” he said. “I’m just helping the service deliver on its commitment to the community to provide for safety, security and wellbeing.”

Federico said there are processes around what information can be released to the public once the review is complete, but said confidentiality is important while the process is underway.

“Any fair process requires a certain degree of confidentiality, so that a proper and thorough review can be conducted,” he said.

Federico said he has already visited Sarnia and is looking forward to beginning the role.

“I love the city,” he said. “I visited Sarnia in the past. I’m happy to say it’s as charming as it was when I first found it.”

He said he has found a furnished apartment and hopes to become part of the community during his time here.

“I do hope that I can become, for the period of time that I’m there, one of the Sarnians,” Federico said.

Federico said he wants the community to have confidence in the police service and the police board during the transition.

“The community of Sarnia can have faith and confidence in its service and its services board,” he said.

He said he is looking forward to working with the community and the police service during what he described as an opportunity to strengthen relationships.

“It’s a time to work as closely as they can, genuine and sincerely with their police service, to keep the community safe and healthy,” Federico said.