Regina’s mayor testified during the appeal hearing over the firing of the city’s former police chief on Wednesday. On behalf of the Regina Board of Police Commissioners, Mayor Chad Bachynski defended the board’s decision to fire former Regina Police Service chief Farooq Sheikh with cause. Upon reviewing the investigation report conducted by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Bachynski told the room that the board felt Sheikh’s actions did not reflect the values of a police chief, stating that was the sole reason for its decision to terminate his contract. Sheikh was fired in October 2025. The Saskatchewan Police Commission confirmed that he was appealing the decision. With the police board being responsible for making strategic plans and providing direction to RPS on how to best serve the community, Bachynski said the trust between the community, board members, officers, and especially the chief, is “imperative.” “The police cannot operate effectively if the public does not have trust,” Bachynski said at Wednesday’s hearing, referring to text messages between Sheikh and the complainant that launched the initial investigation. “ … My main concern is the lack of transparency ... and that was the big flag when seeing all of these messages.” Sheikh is expected to testify as of Wednesday afternoon. More details to come…
