Durham Regional Police Service Chief Peter Moreira has been named president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, taking on a provincewide leadership role that will see him advocate for policing priorities across all 44 municipal services in Ontario.
Moreira assumed the position this week for the 2026 to 2027 term during the association’s annual general meeting in Niagara. He succeeds Chief Mark Campbell of the Strathroy-Caradoc Police Service, who will remain on the board as past president.
The appointment places Durham Region at the centre of provincial policing policy discussions at a time when communities across Ontario are grappling with evolving challenges around public safety, mental health crisis response, and the integration of new technologies into law enforcement operations.
I’ve dedicated my career to policing and am proud to serve alongside exceptional leaders across Ontario, Moreira said in a statement. It is an honour to serve as OACP President, and I’m committed to advancing policing priorities through thoughtful collaboration that strengthens community safety and well-being across our province.
Moreira has served as Chief of the Durham Regional Police Service since March 2023 and brings more than 30 years of policing experience to the provincial role. He began his career with the Toronto Police Service in 1991, progressing through senior roles across frontline operations, investigative units, and executive command positions.
His career highlights include leading the Toronto Police Homicide Squad and the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force, as well as playing a leadership role during the 2022 Emergencies Act response. Since arriving in Durham, Moreira has focused on modernizing the service to respond to the needs of one of Canada’s fastest-growing regions.
The Durham Regional Police Service currently serves more than 750,000 residents across eight municipalities, making it one of the largest municipal police services in the province. Under Moreira’s leadership, the service has pursued initiatives aimed at community engagement, diversity recruitment, and technology-driven crime prevention.
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police represents police leaders from municipal, regional, and First Nations services across the province. The organization advocates for legislative and policy changes that support effective policing and public safety outcomes.
In his new role, Moreira will work alongside police executives from services of all sizes, from small rural detachments to large urban forces, to address shared challenges including recruitment and retention, organized crime, cybercrime, and the growing intersection between mental health and policing.
The dual mandate of leading Durham’s police service while chairing the provincial chiefs’ association will be a demanding balancing act, but colleagues say Moreira’s collaborative approach makes him well suited for the challenge.
His appointment highlights the growing national profile of Durham Regional Police and the increasing recognition of its leadership within Ontario’s broader law enforcement community.
Moreira’s election also comes at a pivotal moment for policing in Ontario, with services across the province facing heightened public scrutiny over use of force policies, accountability mechanisms, and the adequacy of existing funding models. The OACP president plays a key role in facilitating dialogue between police leadership, government officials, and community stakeholders on these pressing issues.
For Durham residents, the appointment means their police chief will have a direct seat at the table where provincial policing strategy is shaped, potentially influencing resource allocation and legislative priorities that affect the region for years to come.
