Police officer looks to connect with Saskatoon's diverse communities with an empathetic ear

Const. Derek Chesney credits his approach to communication — direct, respectful, full of empathy — to growing up on a ranch in southeast Saskatchewan surrounded by cowboys.

"I got to listen to a lot of old guys B.S. back in the day, and they tell stories of humanity and people," he said.

The veteran police officer is a member of the Saskatoon Police Service's cultural relations unit. Its job is to forge relationships between the police force and the city's various communities.

The unit started in the early 2000s as an attempt to repair the disconnect between the Indigenous population and the police. While that remains an important focus, Chesney said the scope of his work has changed because of Saskatoon's increasing cultural diversity.

"In recent years, with immigration, with the sexual and gender diverse community coming into its proper place, and everybody else in-between, we now have broadened our horizons to working with everybody from the Saskatoon Open Door Society to the new immigrants in the city," Chesney said.

'He can see the spirit in people'

Chesney's talent of earning the trust of people from all walks of life was evident last Friday during National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations in Saskatoon's Victoria Park. He shook the hands of local Indigenous leaders, spoke with newcomer families about the importance of the day, and helped staff from OUT Saskatoon raise a two-spirit teepee.

Vernon Linklater appreciates Chesney's ability to place himself in the shoes of others and view the world from their perspective. The Saskatoon Public School Board trustee and family violence worker at The Friendship Inn was one of the first people to shake Chesney's hand on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Linklater calls Chesney a personal friend and a friend to Saskatoon's Indigenous community.

"We come to ceremony together. He goes along with the police as well as on his own time. He's brought his family. I've seen his children grow up in ceremony. Just like I see ceremony as very important, he sees it too. That's the kind of guy Derek is. He can see the spirit in people."

From the ranch to the Punjab

It's been an interesting journey for Chesney to end up in this role. 

After finishing a hockey career in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, he returned to his family ranch just in time for the mad cow crisis to hit the cattle industry. It prompted Chesney to leave the ranch and enrol in sociology and Indigenous justice studies at the University of Saskatchewan with the goal of becoming a police officer.

In 2006, as part of his studies, Chesney travelled to India for six weeks.

"We got to spend a week in the Punjab, which is the breadbasket of India and home of the Sikh people. Once I got to know the Sikh people, I was like, 'OK, they are just Saskatchewan farm boys.' 

"I started drawing those lines between the similarities of stuff, and if you peel away all the things that you perceive as difficult, we have a lot of similarities," he said.

'I deal with the other 95 per cent'

Chesney describes his role within the Saskatoon Police Service as public relations, and it's one he embraces.

"In policing, they say you deal with five per cent of the population 95 per cent of the time. I deal with the other 95 per cent — the people that support the police. Maybe they come from countries where police can be a little bit corrupt. We're there to build that bridge and build that connection," he said.

Chesney has enjoyed his five years with the cultural relations unit, but is excited for a change. In January, he will return to walking a beat in downtown Saskatoon — a challenge, given the rise of crystal meth use in the area.

But he knows the lessons learned from his years building relationships with different communities in Saskatoon will serve him well.

"If you can listen and communicate with people, you can avert a lot of stuff."

This article is based on an episode of YXE Underground. It's a podcast focusing on people in Saskatoon who are making a difference in the community but are not receiving the attention they deserve in social or mainstream media. You can listen to YXE Underground here. You can also download episodes on iTunes or the podcast app of your choice. 

• You can read all of the YXE Underground articles here.