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Halifax police union votes non confidence in chief’s leadership, citing staff shortages and training issues

One of Atlantic Canada’s largest police forces is facing deep internal divisions after its union members voted overwhelmingly to say they have no confidence in the leadership of their chief.

In results released Wednesday of a vote held over the last two weeks, the Halifax Police Association says 96.6 per cent of the nearly 84 per cent of its membership who voted expressed non-confidence in Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella.

Association president Sgt. Dean Stienburg says morale on the force is low and he is calling for Kinsella’s resignation, adding that the chief isn’t working to address staff shortages and training deficiencies.

Stienburg says members also feel that Kinsella is too quick to react to controversies that erupt on social media and isn’t supporting force members.

In an emailed statement, Kinsella says he had previously reached out to the head of the association to ask him to work with management to find solutions to their issues.

Kinsella says Stienberg has instead chosen to “create divisions and spread rhetoric.”