Nova Scotia RCMP Commanding Officer Update

May 26, 2022
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

News release

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Assistant Commissioner John Ferguson will be the interim Commanding Officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP and will assume his duties in June. He has served in various locations and capacities in his 30+ year career, most recently as the Criminal Operations Officer for the RCMP in Alberta.

"I'm very pleased to have this opportunity to work with the RCMP team in Nova Scotia, which has proven beyond measure its commitment to the safety of Nova Scotians," said Assistant Commissioner Ferguson. "My focus will be on the wellbeing of employees, their contributions to communities across the province, and on our provincial policing priorities."

Assistant Commissioner Ferguson joined the RCMP in 1987. His career has included postings in general duty, federal policing and criminal operations in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Alberta, respectively. He served as Federal Policing Officer in Halifax from 2011 until 2015, during which time he restructured the federal policing program in the province. In Alberta, he was responsible for the strategic direction, human resource, and financial and risk management of the RCMP's core police functions. He is actively engaged in community service, volunteering in many roles with organizations committed to victims of sexual assault, physical and sexual abuse, and child advocacy. See his full biography below.

As interim Commanding Officer, Assistant Commissioner Ferguson will take over from Chief Superintendent Chris Leather who will return to his position as the Criminal Operations Officer in Nova Scotia. Assistant Commissioner Ferguson will serve as interim Commanding Officer until a permanent Commanding Officer is selected.

Biography

John joined the RCMP in 1987 and spent the first eight years of his career working in general duty policing in Manitoba. In 1995, he began working in Federal Policing where he was involved in drug enforcement, providing support to national security investigations and conducting customs, excise and immigration related investigations.

From 2011 until 2015, he served as the Federal Policing Officer in Halifax. Liaising with other police services and with the RCMP's international partners, he was responsible for investigations related to national security, protective policing, serious and organized crime and economic integrity. He also restructured the RCMP's Federal Policing program in Nova Scotia, an initiative that represented a significant change in the program's culture.

In 2018, John was appointed the Criminal Operations Officer in Alberta and has served in that role ever since. Reporting directly to the Commanding Officer, he was responsible for the strategic direction, human resource, financial and risk management of the RCMP's core police functions in Alberta.

As dedicated as he is to his RCMP responsibilities, John is also actively engaged in community service. He's currently a Board member for the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services and has served as a Steering committee member for the Caribou Centre, a child advocacy centre in Grande Prairie, and as a Board member for Pace, a non-profit organization that provides support to families whose members have been victims of physical and sexual abuse. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University.

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Contact information

Cpl. Chris Marshall
Public Information Officer
Nova Scotia RCMP
Cell: 902-222-0154
chris.marshall@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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