Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini has been elected chair of the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board.
Meeting on Wednesday, Vagnini was the unanimous choice, as was the new vice-chair, Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier.
First elected to council in 2014, Vagnini joined the board the same year. He said he's been spending time with police since he joined the board, and has gone on ride-alongs to get a better idea of what officers face on the front line.
It's easy to forget that police deal every day with a small segment of society who break the law – people who "the rest of the population doesn't want to deal with," he said.
"I'm totally impressed," Vagnini said Wednesday. "We expect a lot from these people, and boy do they deliver."
In a news release Thursday, he said it was a privilege to become the chair.
“Greater Sudbury Police Service has a reputation of being a leader and innovator in community safety and well-being,” Vagnini said in the release. “It is certainly an honour to work with our team of dedicated professionals ... We lead the way in ensuring our community is safe and secure.”
Montpellier also expressed his thanks to the board for their support.
“It is with great pride that I fulfil my role along with my experienced board colleagues.”
Vagnini replaces outgoing chair Frances Caldarelli, who remains a member of the board. Caldarelli, a former city councillor who didn't run for re-election in 2014, stepped into the role after former chair Gerry Lougheed Jr. resigned after he was charged in connection with the Sudbury byelection scandal.
