Morden paid tribute last week to its retiring police chief Brad Neduzak, who is preparing to step down after 40 years of service, including 25 as chief.
A few speakers honoured Neduzak at a ceremony held last Thursday at the Access Event Centre.
“What sets Brad apart is how he has led … he has led with humility, with humour and with an unwavering focus on the community,” said Scott Halley, who is deputy chief with the Winnipeg Police and president of the Manitoba Association of Police Chiefs.
He commented on recognizing “a man whose name has become synonymous with service, with integrity and with community. Under Brad’s leadership, the Morden Police Service grew not just in size but in capability … Brad ensured that Morden’s police officers had the tools, had the training and the vision to serve a growing city.”
Morden city manager Nicole Reidle praised Neduzak for serving as “a steady hand, a trusted leader, and a true advocate for community safety.”
She noted the length of his career meant he has worked alongside 31 different members of city council, six mayors, and five city managers, so it is a testament to the respect and trust he has earned.
“Your career has been defined by professionalism, integrity, and a genuine care for people. You built a police service that reflects the values of this city.”
Mayor Nancy Penner pointed out that the Morden police department has been around for 134 years, and Neduzak has been there for about 30 per cent of that time.
“I wonder if your record will ever be broken?” said Penner, who called it an honour and a privilege to pay tribute to him and highlighted the special units he helped launch, including the canine unit, tactical team, and the negotiators team as well as most recently a community resource officer position. “You have built a respect and trust and guided your department with integrity and compassion.”
“It is an honour to see so many come out to kind of say goodbye and thank you from the community,” said Neduzak. “This is why you stay as long in a community and in an organization like this for 40 years because of all these people. It truly is a big family in a small community, and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to live, to work, and raise a family.”
Neduzak reflected on how much things have changed over his four decades of service.
“I started with four constables including myself back in 1985 … now we have a complete staff of 21 with support staff … so we really have grown especially with the speciality teams we’ve developed over the years.
“You want to ensure that things are safer and better for the community, safer and better for staff,” he said. “It’s been a heck of a run, and I’m truly honoured to have been given that opportunity to lead the police service … council saw something in me way back then, and thank goodness they did, so I appreciate being given that opportunity.
“It’s very shocking … when you say 40 years, you think that’s a long time, but in the next breath, it’s like it’s flown by so quickly. I used to hate when people say time flies, but it is very, very true. I can’t even quite believe I’m quite here today.”
Neduzak’s final days as chief will come at the end of the month.
“We’re not going anywhere though,” he noted. “We’re sticking around in Morden—you couldn’t ask for a better place to retire.”
