In photo left to right - Chief Administrative Officer Sharon Baiden, Deputy Chief Sara Cunningham and Chief Paul Pedersen

A Message from Chief Paul Pedersen

As your Chief of Police, I am so honoured and proud to lead this organization within this community. The City of Greater Sudbury has become home to me and my family. Coming from York Regional Police after 35 plus years in the policing profession, I can honestly say that policing in Northern Ontario is very unique. Where we police is where we call home. We live here, our children grow up here and for many of our members this has always been home. That means we are completely invested in the safety, security and wellness of this community.

As a Police Service we are committed to transparency and continued engagement across the diverse communities we serve – we are your police. We aim to build sustainable, diverse and inclusive networks and partnerships with agencies, organizations and community groups to embrace community input through community engagement.

The Our Shared Commitment to Community Safety and Well-being model emphasizes the importance of not only community engagement, but the importance of innovation and collaborative partnerships while ensuring a survivor-focused approach in everything that we do.

Through our current Strategic Direction, we will focus our efforts on Our Members and Our Inclusive Workplace, Public Trust and Accountability, Collaborative Community Safety and Well-being for Greater Sudbury, and Policing with Excellence and Professionalism.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Our Deputy Chief Sara Cunningham

Deputy Chief Sara Cunningham joined the Greater Sudbury Police Service in 1998 and throughout her 24-year career has served in variety of investigative and operational roles. Prior to her appointment to Deputy Chief, she was the Executive Officer to the Chief of Police and Inspector in charge of Strategic Operations overseeing  the Professional Standards Bureau/Quality Assurance, Special Investigations Unit Liaison, Risk Management, Corporate Event Planning, Project Management, Equity/Inclusion and Diversity, Indigenous Liaison, , Procedure Writing, Research and Development and Analytics.

Currently, Deputy Cunningham is responsible for the operational areas of policing as well as the 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Centre.  She is committed to building on GSPS’s strong foundation of being an innovative police leader by embracing technology, leveraging data and analytics and intelligence-based policing while empowering and supporting its members.

 Deputy Cunningham is dedicated to community service and enhancing community partnerships by continuing to work collaboratively with key stakeholder groups. In the past year she was a key driver in developing and launching Sudbury’s highly successful Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team.  She is passionate about professionalism, teamwork, and relationship building.

Deputy Cunningham holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Laurentian University and is a graduate of the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management Police Leadership Program.  She is the recipient of the Governor General Exemplary Service 20-year medal. She is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Ontario Women in Law Enforcement.

Our Chief Administrative Officer Sharon Baiden

Sharon Baiden has been the Chief Administrative Officer with the Greater Sudbury Police Service since April 1995. A graduate of Queens University, she is also a Registered Nurse holding a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Science. She is qualified as a Certified Human Resources Professional and has been granted the Certified Municipal Manager Police Executive designation. Prior to joining the Police Service, Sharon was the Executive Director of VON Sudbury for 10 years and previously worked as a Health Care Officer at Kingston Penitentiary. 

In addition to her professional work, Sharon is actively involved in the community having served as the founding co-chair of the Luncheon of Hope event in support of breast cancer awareness. In 2006, she joined many colleagues in “Shave for the Record” as a participant shaving her head support of the fight against cancer. She has been on many boards including Cambrian College Foundation, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Bereavement Foundation, St. Joseph’s Villa Foundation and the Independent Centre and Network. She chaired the Games Organizing Committee for the 2011 Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Floor Hockey Championships and the 2009 Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Meeting and Conference. She is also a former member of the United Way Centraide Campaign Cabinet.  In 2012, she participated in “Dancing with the Stars”, a fundraiser in support of Easter Seals. 

Sharon is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Canadian Federation of University Women, Human Resources Professionals Association, College of Nurses of Ontario, and Ontario Municipal Management Institute.  

Sharon was welcomed into the Special Olympics Hall of Fame in October 2011 and was recognized by the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction in May 2011.  She is a proud recipient of a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and in May 2013 was inducted into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.