b'C O V E RSurviving First Contact: Leadership Lessons Learned By Chief Nishan Duraiappah,I f theres one thing that is true, its that there is noFirst,mygoodPeel Regional Police leader, friendandremarkable prescribed roadmap for a new Chief of Police toCommissioner Tom Carrique, shared with me his thoughts enter an organization. Each police organization andon his own transition to the Ontario Provincial Police from community have different identities and cultures,York Regional Police. He told me that when he first put and their needs vary. If someone has the How-Toon his new OPP uniform, he was reminded, symbolically, book for a new Chief on their shelf or perhaps in an audiothat he couldnt see the flashes on his shoulder. Rather, format, please let me know. Ill happily add a chapterhe saw the people and colleagues in front of him and the about What the First Seven Months Looked Like for Nish.task at hand. So goes the mission. That put everything After 25 years of policing in Halton Region, my prideinto perspective. Regardless of uniform, we are one team, in becoming a part of Peel Regional Police (PRP) in 2019all responding within our own right to the pressures of was quickly and dynamically impacted by many pressuresthe day.outside of my control. That said, I would like to focus onJustthesame,everypoliceagencyinOntarioand how a flexible strategy allowed me to make the most ofCanada have long histories which each of their members the first seven months.must honour. For Peel Regional Police, the regionalization 6 H.Q. Summer 2020'