Outspoken New Brunswick police chief retiring after tumultuous five-year term
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SAINT JOHN – The outspoken chief of the Saint John Police Force is retiring, following a five-tear tenure that was marked by formal harassment complaints against him by several officers.
In a statement Monday on the police force’s website, Robert Bruce said he plans to retire in July after 38 years of policing.
“It has been a distinct honour to serve the City of Saint John,” he said. “I am both humble and grateful for the opportunity to have been able to contribute to this organization and community.”
Bruce said that when he was hired for the job 2021, he was prepared to lead the organization through a significant transformation into a more modern and responsive service. But he said there were many challenges to overcome, including a “systematic resistance to change,” a restrictive collective agreement and frequent changes within the senior ranks.
“These circumstances presented unique operational and leadership demands,” his statement says.
“Nevertheless, we have remained steadfast in advancing our mission through accountability, transparency, high standards, structured processes, sound policy, professionalism and clear communication.”
In September, the association representing municipal police in New Brunswick confirmed members of the Saint John Police Force had filed nine harassment complaints against Bruce. At the time, the association called on the province’s public safety minister to investigate the workplace environment within the Saint John Police Force.
As well, the association asked the province’s workplace safety board to determine if the police force was complying with its own code of conduct and the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The association did not release details of the complaints, but last month Bruce said most of them were “disappointing and predictable.”
Bruce said most of the complaints were dismissed because they were found to be “vexatious, frivolous and not made in good faith.”
The chief, however, said he took full responsibility for the few remaining allegations.
Still, he went on to claim the police union used similar tactics to discredit police management and city officials before his arrival to the force.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2026.