Taber welcomes new police chief

Last week, Graham Abela was sworn in as Police Chief of Taber, Alberta.

At a ceremony marking the milestone, Abela, who has been on the town’s police force for more than 15 years, was celebrated by friends, family, and community members alike.

Shortly before assuming his command, Abela said, “It’s an honour and privilege to be given the opportunity to lead the Taber Police Service into the foreseeable future, and to be given the responsibility of ensuring adequate and effective policing in the community of Taber.”

“I look forward to the challenges that will come, as well as celebrating the successes that are achieved through police work.  We have an excellent team of dedicated police officers and staff and I look forward to working with them, in partnership with our community. “

Promotion celebrated on UCalgary campus

Graham Abela’s success was also cheered by the Werklund School of Education, as the Chief is a former graduate student, earning his Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership in 2012.

And while it might not seem a natural connection or a logical fit at first consideration, Werklund, with its specialty in leadership, turned out to be a perfect pairing for an individual with a career outside of education.

In his case, Abela knew that in order to grow as a leader in law enforcement, he would need a doctoral degree.  But he also knew that with no colleges or universities in Canada focusing on doctoral studies in policing, he would have to consider a program outside the field of criminal justice. On top of that, Abela also required a program that would allow him to continue his full-time work on Taber’s police force.

“I really needed a doctoral program that was flexible, rigorous, Canadian, and could offer me the learning I wanted to achieve,” says Abela.  “In researching schools, I found the Doctor of Education program at the University of Calgary, and thought it might meet my needs.”

“And,” says the Chief,”I was right.”

Focus on leadership and teaching is key

Through his studies, Abela discovered that the development of leaders in education is very similar to that of police executives.  “Although the context is different,” he explains, “the theoretical underpinnings of leadership and strategy in our public services is remarkably similar.”

Abela adds that in the field of policing there are divisions that focus on skills such as  curriculum development, training of new recruits and professional development for the many different levels that span a law enforcement career. 

He says that much of what the leaders in these areas need to know is not necessarily tied to criminal justice, but rather to education.  “The people heading up these units need strong educational foundations that academic programs such as the EdD program in Werklund can provide.”

Passing new found knowledge along

Abela says that while the work was challenging, the effort to earn his doctoral degree was a worthwhile endeavor, and one that he will always be proud to have achieved.  

One of the best endorsements anyone can give a program is to refer others to it, and Abela has done just that.  “I enjoyed the program so much that I’ve recommended it to several colleagues, he says, “and two are just now completing the same EdD program in which I was enrolled.”

The town of Taber is assuredly in good hands with a law enforcement leader like Abela at the helm.