Outside cop named Fredericton’s deputy chief

François (Frank) Levesque joins capital’s police force as second-in-command

The Fredericton Police Force has a new deputy chief, and he’s new to the capital and its policing agency.

The police force, in a news release Monday morning, announced François (Frank) Levesque as its new deputy chief of strategy and administration.

His appointment takes effect Dec. 16, the release said.

Fredericton’s new deputy police chief, François (Frank) Levesque. (Photo: Submitted/Fredericton Police Force)

Levesque is new to Fredericton and the Fredericton Police Force. The release said he’s been in law enforcement for 21 years, having spent time as a member of the RCMP, focusing on special investigations and intelligence during that time, and with la Surêté du Québec in Montreal.

He most recently served as the deputy chief with the Edmundston Police Force, it said. 

Levesque studied kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick, the release said, and he’s a graduate of the Québec National Police Academy and has a diploma in police foundations.

He also co-chairs a committee on equity, diversity and inclusivity for all police forces across New Brunswick, it said.

“Frank’s extensive law enforcement experience and commitment to community engagement make him a valuable addition to our team,” Fredericton police Chief Gary Forward said in the release. 

Forward was named the capital’s new police chief in August, after a stint as the police chief for the Town of Woodstock.

His and Levesque’s appointments represent hires from outside the Fredericton Police Force to manage the agency. However, Forward started out in policing with the Fredericton Police Force back in 1989, rising to the rank of inspector over the years before he left to head up the province’s contraband enforcement unit, which was later dissolved in 2019.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at ftonindependent@gmail.com.