Chief Charles Bordeleau steps away for good

When he walks out of Ottawa police headquarters for the last time, Chief Charles Bordeleauwill be confident of two things: that the officers he leavesbehind have more support, and that they'rebetter connected to the community they serve.

Bordeleau ends his at-times tumultuous term as chief of the Ottawa Police Service onSaturday, retiring after seven years in the chief's chair and 35 years as a police officer.

• Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau announces retirement

He told CBC Radio'sAll In A Daythis week that he's proud of the work he'sdone in that time but also acknowledged the work is not over.

"I've always looked at this opportunity as a very small window to effect change," Bordeleau said.

Diversity issues

When he started in the job in 2012, the force had a problem relating to the city's diverse communities, Bordeleau said.

The death of Abdirahman Abdiduring a violent arrest in 2017particularly stressed the relationship betweenthose communities and police but the force has been working hard ever since, Bordeleau said, to improve things.

One of the arresting officers, Const. Daniel Montsion, was charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault, and assault with a weapon following Abdi's death.

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"That, I think, was a significant event in our community that tested that trust," Bordeleausaid. "We committed with resolve to continue building those relationships, and we've been working very hard with the broader community."

While the forceis trying to diversify its ranks, Bordeleau acknowledged that'snot happening as fast as he would like.

"We changed a number of our policies ... and increased our training around a bias-neutral policing," he said.

"Tenyears ago, having a discussion around racial profiling would not have happened at the Ottawa police service."

Mental health strides

When he first took the job,Bordeleauidentified mental health concerns among the force as a significant concern.

He told All In A Dayhe believes the force hasmade real strides that stigma over the past seven years, and that officers are more comfortable than ever coming forward with their struggles.

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"We've moved forward significantly in creating the right conditions for our members to seek help," he said.

As he steps away from a term that's included two fatalbus crashes, a pair of massivefloods, last fall's tornado strikes and a shooting on Parliament Hill, Bordeleau said he wasimmensely proud of the officers he leaves behind.

"They care passionately about this community. They're compassionate. They're they show a lot of empathy and they want to help make this community safer," he said.

While his replacement hasn't been chosen yet, Bordeleau said that Ottawa's next police chief whoever it is will have a strong team of officers on their hands.

"The team in place has the leadership capability to move forward," he said. "And the next chief will bring something new to continue building on what we've done."