Retiring WRPS deputy chief describes career highlights and challenges

Deputy Chief Shirley Hilton. (Submitted/WRPS)

A community leader in Waterloo region is moving onto a new chapter.

After 33 years of service, Deputy Police Chief Shirley Hilton, who also oversaw the region’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, will retire this spring.

Hilton described her emotions as “elated”. She said she’s proud of her career, where she came from and where she’s going.

In 1990 Hilton began her career as a patrol constable in Cambridge with the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).

Since then, she has taken on various positions, including homicide, drug enforcement, frontline patrol and investigations.

Hilton was named acting deputy chief between January and June of 2019 and eventually named deputy chief in 2020 – the first female to ever be acclaimed to the position.

Her passion for mentoring led her to help create a women in leadership network with the vision to commit to celebrating and shaping the future of women in policing.

“I would have to say challenging the status quo around women in policing, around our role in policing, has been probably my passion and my highlight,” Hilton told CTV News.

Throughout her career Hilton represented the police force at a number of national and provincial organizations.

Hilton also took on the role as lead of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force for the Region of Waterloo during the pandemic.

She said those times were challenging in a very uncertain time.

“It was kind of like a unicorn. We really didn’t know what the vaccine would look like,” she said.

She admitted it was an overwhelming position at first.

“But at the same time I felt that there is certainly responsibility from a broader perspective. ‘What can I do to assist in this crisis?’ Because we really truly were in a crisis,” Hilton said.

Hilton said her decision to retire ultimately came down to family and the flexibility to spend time with them and be there for them as they have been for her.

Hilton expects her last day at the end of May will be an emotional one.