London's police board appoints new leadership after recent resignation

CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 7:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Ryan Gauss has been chosen arsenic the caller seat of the London Police Service Board (LPSB) for the remainder of this year, pursuing the resignation of erstwhile chair Ali Chahbar earlier this month. 

The police's oversight assemblage has besides elected erstwhile metropolis councillor Nancy Branscombe arsenic its vice-chair astatine a gathering connected Thursday, it said successful a quality release. 

"I americium honoured and humbled by my colleagues' assurance successful maine to pb during this captious moment," Gauss said successful a statement. 

"The Board acknowledgment Ali for his work and community-focused leadership. We volition proceed his way to heighten nationalist information and beforehand meaningful operational and taste reform. This includes ensuring that the LPS is equipped to conscionable the needs of our assemblage by gathering a Service that reflects the diverseness of our community." 

Chahbar, who had served connected the committee since December 2021, announced his resignation successful aboriginal May, citing idiosyncratic wellness reasons. The quality of the wellness reasons was not disclosed.

Gauss archetypal became a subordinate of LPSB in 2023, beating retired 53 different candidates who applied for the role and had been serving arsenic the board's vice-chair.

His archetypal assignment didn't travel without controversy. At the time, critics accused metropolis council of putting governmental favours and relationships implicit the needs of the city's divers communities, arsenic Gauss was picked implicit 2 divers candidates. 

Gauss is besides main of unit for London Centre Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos and ran Mayor Josh Morgan's run successful 2022 municipal election. Morgan is besides a subordinate of LPSB.

Branscombe has served connected the committee since 2022 and is also involved successful different assemblage groups, including her relation arsenic committee seat for the Forest City Film Festival and the Forest City Youth Film Festival. In a connection connected Thursday Branscombe said this is simply a pivotal clip for constabulary governance. 

"We are arrogant of the steps taken to amended nationalist information successful this City but acknowledge that overmuch enactment is inactive ahead. I americium grateful to beryllium elected arsenic Vice-Chair of the Board today," said Branscombe.

"I americium assured that the beardown affirmative moving narration betwixt the Board, Chief Truong, and the LPS Leadership Team volition support america moving to modernize the Service and achieve our eventual extremity of a safer London."

The committee said the state is taking steps to capable its vacant spot.