Durham loses deputy police chief

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

The Durham Regional Police will soon be on the lookout for a new deputy chief after receiving the resignation of Uday Jaswal, who is returning to the Ottawa Police Service.

The announcement was made on Aug. 1, and comes two years after Jaswal joined the DRPS as a deputy chief. Prior to that, he spent 21 years as an officer and superintendent with the Ottawa police.

“Deputy Chief Jaswal has been a valuable asset to the Durham Regional Police Service since his arrival two years ago,” says Randy Wilson, the chair of the Durham Police Services Board. “His leadership and commitment to partnerships earned him the confidence of the community, the trust of the board, and the respect of the DRPS membership and his presence will be missed.”

According to the board, Jaswal’s departure will take effect in September and the board, and they will be working to address the vacancy at “its earlier opportunity” in consultation with Police Chief Paul Martin.

“We thank Deputy Chief Jaswal for his contributions and wish him well in his next assignment,” Wilson adds.

Jaswal, an Ottawa native, joined the DRPS almost two years to the day of his resignation announcement, and while responsible for operations and criminal investigations during his time with Durham, he was also tasked with the high-profile assignment of reviewing the force’s handling of the Dafonte Miller case, an incident that saw a Black teenager beaten by an off-duty Toronto police officer and his brother in Whitby.

Throughout his time in Ottawa, Jaswal oversaw the gun and gangs unit as well as the human trafficking unit.

“I am very pleased with the Board’s decision and I am very much looking forward to having Uday as a member of the OPS Executive Command, to help support our membership and to work with the community on keeping Ottawa safe,” said Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau in a news release.