One of the two men serving as interim head of the Edmonton police has now been promoted to do the job full-time.
On Friday, Warren Driechel was named the 24th chief of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) after being on the force for nearly three decades.
Driechel began his career with the EPS in 1997 as a patrol office with North Division.
Throughout his career, he led and developed several police intelligence units and programs, worked in organized crime and gang investigations, provided expertise in recruit training and spearheaded changes in data organization and technology development.
The Edmonton Police Commission posted the chief’s job in June said it looked for the best candidate to lead the EPS.
After a comprehensive, nation-wide search, the board chose Driechel to lead the EPS “with a firm focus on community policing and improving public safety for all Edmontonians.”
Get breaking National news
“Chief Driechel is dedicated to innovation, leadership and operational excellence, and is known for his strong commitment to community engagement and proactive policing,” the commission said in announcing his hiring.
Most recently as a deputy chief, the commission said he led divisions focused on a variety of community services and offender management and support, including:
- Community safety
- Encampment response
- The police and crisis response team
- The human-centred engagement and liaison partnership unit
- The emergency communications centre
- School resource officer program
- Behavioural assessment and integrated offender management units
- Preserving peregrine falcon species, art of falconry in Manitoba
- Applicants for child care operator licences in Saskatchewan say they’re being denied
- More than $500M likely required annually for Calgary to meet affordable housing targets
- First-ever Saskatchewan commodity showcase connects producers with global buyers
-
![]()
Cyclospora outbreak source not confirmed, health officials investigating link to lettuce, greens -
![]()
CN rail train drives through inferno as wildfires ravage northwestern Ontario -
![]()
WestJet flight attendants vote in favour of strike -
![]()
Immigration lawyer reacts as some “Lost Canadians” told to return citizenship certificate
“Chief Driechel has keen insight into policing in Edmonton at all levels, from the frontline to the senior management ranks,” the commission said.
The commission presented Driechel as its pick for chief before city council on Friday, and councillors ratified the board’s pick as the the Police Act requires.
Driechel and fellow officer deputy chief Devin Laforce were picked back in February to share the role of interim police chief, switching in and out of the role on a monthly basis, after former chief Dale McFee stepped down after five years to go work for the province as the premier’s top bureaucrat.
McFee replaced previous police chief Rod Knecht, who served from 2011 to 2019.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.