Cornwall police chief retiring; successor named

Cornwall Community Police Service Deputy Chief Danny Aikman signs paperwork Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 to officially become the chief designate. Aikman will be taking over from Chief Dan Parkinson when Parkinson retires at the end of 2018. Overseeing the signing is police board chairman Andre Rivette. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

CORNWALL – After a lengthy career with the Cornwall Community Police Service, Chief Dan Parkinson has announced he’s retiring.

With a smattering of city councillors, police officers and other police stakeholders in the gallery for the police board meeting Wednesday morning, Parkinson announced he would not be seeking a contract extension.

The chief will officially retire at the end of next year (Dec. 31, 2018) when his contract ends.

Succeeding him will be Deputy Chief Danny Aikman, who has also been named chief of police designate, starting Jan. 1, 2018.

Aikman has a 36-year policing history with CCPS and was also an instructor at the Ontario Police College.

Parkinson and Aikman will spend 2018 as a transitional year and a more formal change of command ceremony will happen sometime late next year.

“We offer our sincere and heartfelt congratulations to Deputy Aikman on this designation and professional accomplishment,” Parkinson said in a prepared statement.

Aikman will officially become chief of police on Jan. 1, 2019.