Outgoing police commission chair positive about future

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on December 2, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Lethbridge Police Commission chair Rob vanSpronsen speaks during the November meeting on Wednesday at City Hall.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

On Wednesday, Lethbridge Police Commission Chair Rob vanSpronsen led not only the last meeting of 2022 but also his last meeting as part of the LPC as he is retiring after six years of service.

During the meeting commissioner Dawna Coslovi spoke on behalf of the commission to thank vanSpronsen for his leadership and years of service with the LPC.

“We thank you because you always were sound advice, sometimes the next day but that’s OK,” said Coslovi.

She recalled the fact that vanSpronsen served on the Chief of Police Search Committee back in 2019 and 2020.

“Rob has aided and guided this Commission in the creation of many crucial documents, without his help we wouldn’t be in the position we are in today,” said Coslovi.

She said that under vanSpronsen’s leadership there has been improved police governance in Lethbridge and he was able to do it during a time of really high media scrutiny worldwide on policing.

“For that we thank you and on behalf of the entire Commission and the LPS, we’re gonna miss you. We want to sincerely thank you for your leadership and for your tremendous efforts, you’re the kind of guy who always gives and gives 110 per cent in anything you do so thank you very much,” said Coslovi.

During the meeting vanSpronsen replied by thanking the Commission and the LPS for the last six years.

“It was an amazing journey. I learned a lot. I always thought that you should leave your relationship being a better person than when you came into it and I think I’ve come out a better person for having been with you,” he said.

During an interview with the Herald after the meeting vanSpronsen said that even though the November meeting was his last meeting as chair of the commission, he is not actually done until Dec. 31.

He added that his experience as chair was intense but very rewarding.

“We have a great group of people to work with, all of different ideas but we worked really well together, and it was just really neat to be able to be part of that team. I felt honoured to be chosen as a chair of it,” said vanSpronsen.

He explained it was the City of Lethbridge which appointed him.

VanSpronsen said he feels like he is leaving the commission in a good place to move forward.

“We’ve got a good chief in place. We’ve got a leadership team that’s in place now. We had a chief originally but no deputy chief, and then we had a deputy chief but no chief, and now we have both. We have our inspectors that are all now in place with a really good team, got good support from council now with the budget and I just think the LPS and the Commission is in a really good spot to move forward,” said vanSpronsen.

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