Five-year contract extension for Sault Police chief

The contract for Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Chief Hugh Stevenson has been renewed for another five years.  

Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board Chair John Bruno made the announcement during the open portion of the police board meeting Tuesday prior to thanking Stevenson for his service. 

Financial details of the contract were not disclosed. 

“We’re very pleased that Chief Stevenson continues to bring the consistency, experience and leadership for another five years to our service,” Bruno said during the meeting. “We have many projects in progress, and his renewal will ensure that these projects will be led by the chief, and our city can be assured that its safety and well-being are in good hands.”

Police board member and Ward 4 Coun. Marchy Bruni praised the police chief’s track record in leading the Sault’s municipal police service since being hired in 2018. 

“I sat in the interview process when Chief Stevenson applied for the job, and we were unanimous when we decided who we wanted to run our police service,” said Bruni. “I’ve heard nothing but positive remarks outside of this building, which is a good sign.”

Stevenson was appointed as a Member of the Order of Merit of Police Forces, which recognizes exceptional service or performance of duty over an extended period of time, in 2021. 

The chief of police said he was “very humbled” by the renewal of his contract when speaking with reporters Tuesday.

“We have a wonderful, professional, dedicated group of civilians and uniformed people, and a board that supports their police to improve public safety in this community,” he said. 

The police chief added that Sault Ste. Marie Police Service will be embarking upon a number of projects in the coming months that revolve around the use of technology and “smarter policing” in order to “think out of the box” and “improve public safety in this community.”  

“We have a number of opportunities to intercept the poisons coming into this community that are inevitably related to a lot, or most, of our violence,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson is being paid $225,328 in 2023 — a 2.3 per cent increase over his 2022 salary of $220,239 — according to data from Ontario’s annual Sunshine List. 

The Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996, requires organizations that receive public funding from the Province of Ontario to make public, by March 31 each year, the names, positions, salaries and total taxable benefits of employees paid $100,000 or more in the previous calendar year.