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At its meeting on January 27, 2022, the Niagara Police Services Board re-elected Regional Councillor and Mayor of Port Colborne Bill Steele to serve as Board Chair and re-elected Provincial Appointee Dave Eke to serve as its Vice-Chair.  The election of the Chair and Vice-Chair for the Police Services Board is consistent with the provisions of Section 28 of the Police Services Act, which requires the Board to select its executive officers at the first meeting of the calendar year.

Chair Steele said, “I am honoured to continue to serve as Chair with experienced and dedicated Board Members and thank them for their confidence in me and I look forward to continuing the great work our Board performs on behalf of the citizens of Niagara.”

Mayor Steele began his political career as a Councillor for the City of Port Colborne from 1996 to 2014.  He was elected Mayor of Port Colborne in 2018 and is currently serving his first term on Regional Council.  He is the owner of C.M. Steele Insurance Brokers Ltd., and has extensive community involvement including past service as President of Port Colborne Minor Hockey, Lions Club and Jaycees, Vice-President of Niagara South Insurance Brokers Association, and Board Member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Niagara College Foundation.

Mr. Dave Eke was appointed to the Board by the Provincial Government under an Order In Council from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario for a three-year term commencing June 20, 2019.  Mr. Eke is a life-long resident of the Niagara Region, having lived in St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls.  He brings over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sector.  Mr. Eke is an Industrial Engineer and was employed with General Motors in St. Catharines for 34 years with a background in Production Supervision.  He was first elected Alderman for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1991 and was re-elected in 1994.  Mr. Eke was elected as a Regional Councillor in 2000 and re-elected to serve a second term on Regional Council in 2003.  He was elected as Lord Mayor for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2010 and in this capacity served as a member of Regional Council. 

He has an extensive record of community service, including being past Member and President of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Lions Club, former Member of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Committee of Adjustment; past Board Member with Niagara Regional Housing and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority; former Board Commissioner of the Niagara Parks Commission and Niagara District Airport Authority; past Board Director of Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro; former Governor for the Shaw Festival Theatre; and past Member and Chair of the Niagara District Health Council, Niagara Goodwill Industries, and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Library Board.

“I am pleased to continue to serve as Vice-Chair of this Board,” says Mr. Eke. “We have a knowledgeable and committed group and I look forward to continuing to what we can collectively accomplish in the coming year."

Other members of the Police Services Board are: Regional Council Community Appointee Mr. Henry D’Angela (Thorold); Regional Councillor Bob Gale (Niagara Falls); Regional Councillor Kevin Gibson (Mayor of Wainfleet); plus provincially appointed representatives Ms. Jen Lawson (Grimsby) and Ms. Tara McKendrick (Welland).

The Regional Municipality of Niagara Police Services Board is comprised of seven members, three members appointed from Regional Council, one private citizen appointed by Regional Council, and three provincial appointees.  It is the civilian governing authority for the Niagara Regional Police Service, the oldest regional police service in Ontario that patrols one of the largest geographical regions.  The Niagara Regional Police provides policing and public safety to 12 municipalities totally some 450,000 residents and an estimated 15,000,000 visitors annually.

For further information contact:       

Deb Reid, Executive Director,

Niagara Police Services Board

(905) 688-4111 Extension 1006022