Sarnia residents will have an opportunity to hear from the city’s top police official during an upcoming community session. Police Chief Derek William Davis is scheduled to speak at the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn event on June 9, 2026.
The event, titled Conversations With The Chief, will take place at the Dante Club on London Road from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The session is sponsored by Mainstreet Credit Union, with tickets priced at $25 for chamber members and $35 for non-members.
Chief Davis, who has led the local police service since May 2022, will discuss community safety, policing initiatives, and other matters currently impacting Sarnia-Lambton. His tenure has been marked by significant internal changes, as he reported to the Police Service Board in February 2026 that department spending has increased by 45 percent since his arrival to address historical funding gaps, such as a need for updated equipment and training resources.
The upcoming discussion arrives during a period of public debate regarding local policing and budget priorities. This includes an ongoing dispute over a proposed $91.1 million new police headquarters, which saw Mayor Mike Bradley use his authority to veto $5 million in funding from the 2026 city budget. Additionally, the service recently managed a high-profile investigation into a fatal shooting at Lambton College in April 2026, which led to the arrest of a suspect later that month.
Since his appointment, the chief’s contract has been extended to 2032. He is also currently involved in legal proceedings regarding a $1.5 million defamation lawsuit filed in April 2026 against a local publication and a columnist over reporting related to the hiring of a civilian crime analyst and the chief’s private consulting business.
