After more than three years at the helm of the Stratford Police Service, John Bates is heading east.
The chief announced his resignation from his post Tuesday.
He plans to move to New Brunswick, where he has accepted the job as chief of the Saint John Police Force.
“I’m very proud of my time in Stratford. It was an honour to lead the men and women of the Stratford Police Service,” Bates said in a press release.
“The decision to leave was a difficult one because Stratford is an exceptionally beautiful city and there is a sense of community here like no other I have ever experienced.”
In the release, Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson – also the chair of the city’s Police Services Board – thanked Bates for his “transformative leadership.”
“During his nine years with the service, he has been an exemplary chief and leader,” he said.
Bates was named Stratford’s police chief in 2012.
He had previously been the city’s deputy chief of police for six years. Before that, he spent 21 years with the Brantford Police Service.
The police board will meet in September to discuss finding a new chief.
Bates’ new job in New Brunswick doesn’t begin until November.
