A rookie at City Hall will take over as chair of the Winnipeg Police board.
"Councillor Klein, I appreciate that you've accepted the opportunity," said Bowman.
Mayor Brian Bowman is appointing Charleswood councillor Kevin Klein. He takes over for David Asper, who’s held the job for 18 months. His term ends in December.
"I think we've made a contribution to provide and make for better civilian oversight of the police service," said Asper.
The move means the position reverts back to a counciillor, as was the practice prior to Asper.
Klein is the former publisher of the Winnipeg Sun, a former police board member in Cobourg, Ontario and he is Metis.
"I think it is very important that it follows exactly what the City of Winnipeg under the leadership of Mayor Bowman is doing and that's making sure Winnipeg is an inclusive society," said Klein.
On the campaign trail Klein pledged to review current resource allocations to combat crime, improve the city-wide community policing program and he committed to keeping streets safe.
"He's a newly elected member of council who had as one of his major objectives coming in to city hall public safety," said Bowman.
The board is also seeing another change.
Councillors elected another new member to the board: Markus Chambers from the St .Norbert-Seine River ward. He replaces Mynarski's Ross Eadie.
“I'm very sad that I won't be able to sit on the police board,” said Eadie.
Eadie says he wanted to keep the job, and he has some advice for Klein and Chambers about the current police budget increase the board is asking council for. Eadie says it's not enough.
"They're trying to hold it to 1.6 per cent, that's not going to happen, there's no way unless you're going to get rid of officers," said Eadie.
The changes aren't official just yet, they have to be ratified at a council meeting next week.
