Ben Bolduc
Ben Bolduc | Sault Ste. Marie Police Service
President
Inspector Bolduc has been a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service since 1999. During his career he has served the community in various areas including; as a Constable on Patrol, a member of the Emergency Services Unit serving as a sniper and team leader, Sergeant of Training Services, Staff Sergeant on Patrol and the Professional Standards Bureau, and Inspector - Corporate Development and Emergency Management. He is currently the Inspector of Patrol Services.
Inspector Bolduc served as a Crisis Negotiator and is a certified instructor on Use of Force, Carbine Rifle, Armoured Vehicle Operations, Warrant Service and First Aid.
Inspector Bolduc spent numerous years coaching youth football in Sault Ste. Marie and is currently a board member with Women in Crisis.
Inspector Bolduc is a graduate of Sault College where he received a diploma in Law & Security and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice at Lake Superior State University. He is a recipient of the 20 year Police Exemplary Service Medal.
Dave Tutte
Dave Tutte | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Past President
Inspector Dave Tutte is currently the Manager, Operations at the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Previously, Dave Tutte was a Staff Sergeant with the Halton Regional Police Service for 15 years.
Dave started his career working in Patrol in the City of Burlington, from there Dave was assigned to the Tactical Rescue Unit where he was a team leader and on the rappel team.
In January 2016 Dave was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the Regional Community Mobilization Bureau. While in this role, Dave was responsible for the service delivery for Mental Health, as well as Diversity and Inclusion. Dave was later seconded to the Community Safety and Well-being project.
In July 2018 Dave moved to the Training Bureau and in March 2019 was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and has been fortunate to stay posted in the Training/Recruiting Bureau since. In addition to his training and recruiting duties, Dave has also been a Hostage Negotiator since 2015.
Dave has been a member of the OACP Education, Training and Professional Development committee since 2018 and currently Dave is the co-chair of the OACP Innovation and Technology sub-committee, and the vice-chair of the Incident Command sub-committee. Dave is also a member of the C.P.K.N Innovation and Learning National Advisory committee and a member of the Program Advisory committees for Georgian and Humber College. Dave has been the President of the Canadian Association of Police Educators since 2021.
Lindsay Sutherland
Lindsay Sutherland |
Vice-President
Lindsay Sutherland is passionate about creating opportunities that allow justice educators to achieve their personal and career goals. She was recently the Director of Partnerships for TNT Justice Consultants. Prior to TNT, Lindsay spent 20 years working in educational publishing with many years spent overseeing the creation of products for police training programs in Canada, including materials that focused on community policing and mobilization, cannabis legislation, interviewing techniques, mental health and cybercrime.
Lindsay has been a member of the Canadian Association of Police Educators (CAPE) since 2016 and has recently been voted to the position of Vice President after serving for 4 years as their Director of Communications. Lindsay is also a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Education, Training & Professional Development committee.
Lindsay has an Honours BA in English Language & Literature from Western University.
Melanie Marchand
Melanie Marchand | Georgian College
Treasurer
Melanie Marchand started her academic journey at the University of Waterloo where she majored in Criminology, Sociology and Legal Studies. Upon graduation she moved to B.C to pursue a Masters in Criminology at Simon Fraser University. Melanie was fortunate to work with some of the top Criminologists in Canada and continued to complete her Ph.D coursework at Simon Fraser and U of T.
While working on her Masters, she worked closely with the RCMP conducting original research on DNA databank offences and crime escalation. Melanie’s research interests include: criminological theory, criminal behaviour and analysis, biology of crime, and crime escalation.
Upon graduation Melanie returned to Ontario and joined the Honours Bachelor of Police Studies Degree program at Georgian College as professor in the spring of 2003 and has been co-ordinator of the program since 2007.
Melanie’s teaching promotes student-centred and experiential learning. She believes strongly in active and co-operative learning strategies. Melanie has always had a student-centered approach and believes in supporting students diverse learning styles.
Melanie has taught a variety of courses within her area of expertise, including: Contemporary Issues in Criminology, Criminal Behaviour and Analysis, Policing and Society, Crime and Punishment, Sociology, Research Methods and Forensic Science.
Melanie has been a member of CAPE since 2015.
Darla Blackmore
Darla Blackmore
Director of Conferences
Darla Blackmore, worked for 8 years with the Calgary Police Service as the Manager of the Learning Development Unit within the Learning and Recruitment Division. Darla holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Physical Education as well as a Human Resources Management Certificate from the University of Calgary. Darla is also a Chartered Professional in Human Resources in Alberta.
Darla began her career in education and learning as a teacher for the Calgary Board of Education where she spent ten years before transitioning into the Human Resources field and private sector. Darla continued to specialize in learning and leadership development, gaining valuable experience from her roles in Oil & Gas, Utilities and Insurance. In her past position with CPS, Darla oversees the curriculum design and development for the CPS recruit, in-service and speciality units as well as the tuition support program for member’s pursuits of post-secondary education. Darla’s passion for supporting others through education has guided her career through roles that help to develop others in their personal and professional growth.
Darla served as a member of the CPKN NAC from 2018-2025 and also as a co-chair of the CPKN Learning Needs Sub-committee.
Darla is a dedicated volunteer in the community of Calgary, volunteering in a number of different capacities and with a variety of organizations, with a long term commitment to the YMCA for the past 20+ years.
Darla has been a member of CAPE since 2018.
Kevin Charles
Kevin Charles | Bow Valley College
Director of Policy & Governance
Kevin has been an instructor for Justice Studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary, Alberta since August, 2023. Prior to joining Bow Valley College, Kevin spent over 24 years in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police including postings in Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Alberta. Kevin is passionate about teaching, and instructed tactical training within the RCMP for 13 years.
Kevin recently retired from the RCMP at the rank of Staff Sergeant and has been a member of CAPE since 2023.
D. Scharie Tavcer
D. Scharie Tavcer | Mount Royal University
Director of Research
Dr. D. Scharie Tavcer joined Mount Royal University in 2004 and is an Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Degree Program. She teaches Introduction to Criminology; Introduction to the Criminal Justice System; Crisis Intervention Strategies; Introduction to Criminal Law; Corrections; and Women and the Criminal Justice System. Dr. Tavcer believes in teaching that has components of experiential learning and/or community service learning. This involves incorporating lived experience into her lectures through guests or off-campus events and providing students with real world scenarios with real people in real situations.
Dr. Tavcer completed a doctorate in Sociology, major in Criminology in 2007 with the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law and the Albert-Ludwigs Universität both in Freiburg, Germany; a Masters in European Criminology in 2001 from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium; a Bachelor of Arts major in Psychology/Sociology in 1997 from the University of Alberta; and a Diploma of Law Enforcement & Security from Grant MacEwan College.
Prior to a career in academia, Dr. Tavcer worked for the Correctional Services Canada with male offenders in halfway houses, community residential facilities, as a parole officer, and program therapist, in Alberta and British Columbia.
Today, her academic endeavours revolve around social justice issues particular to women and marginalized populations in the justice system. From a community-based perspective and a feminist lens, Dr. Tavcer teaches and researches addiction & mental illness, sex work & sex trafficking, gendered violence, sexual violence policies and programming at post-secondary institutions, criminal law and its application, and occupational stress injuries in first responders.
Dr. Tavcer has also served on the board of directors with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary, NextGenMen; on the book award committee for the Canadian Sociological Society; as an advisor for the Gender Based Violence Resource Collective; and as a Research Associate with The Centre for the Study of Social and Legal Responses to Violence. She’s also a member of the European Society of Criminology, Western Society of Criminology, Canadian Law & Society Association, and American Society of Criminology-Victimology.
Take a look at her publications:
- Women and the criminal justice system: A Canadian perspective (3rd edition)
- Criminal Law and the Criminal Code
- Sexual violence policies and sexual consent education at Canadian post-secondary institutions
Dr. Tavcer is Editor-in-Chief of (De)constructing Criminology: International Perspectives which is an international journal which publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed, and open access works in criminology and its adjacent disciplines. The journal provides a broad forum to deconstruct criminology, its established power structures, and the dominant understandings of criminology and its adjacent disciplines.
Goals as the Director of Research:
- Re-engage relationships with academic institutions across Canada to gather an inventory of research and scholarship related to police education. This inventory and its researchers, staff, and faculty can be emphasized by posting info in a quarterly newsletter, AGM invitations, AGM invitations to present, and support undergraduate and graduate students in their scholarship.
- In conjunction with other Execs, develop a communication strategy. Develop and distribute a quarterly newsletter of police education initiatives and scholarship.
- Re-engage relationships with police services across Canada to identify who is a leader in police training and education (professional development and otherwise). This inventory could inform the AGM as speakers, they could be connected to scholars at academic institutions.
Angel Cropper
Angel Cropper
Director of Communications
Angel Cropper is a dedicated Learning & Development Advisor with the Calgary Police Service, committed to advancing education and professional development within the policing sector. With a background in education, instructional design, leadership development, and organizational learning, Angel brings a strategic and people-centered approach to employee development.
Angel has played a key role in several initiatives at the Calgary Police Service, including managing the Tuition Assistance Program for post-secondary education, developing policies for external training and education standards, coordinating applications to the Canadian Police College, and serving as the CPS Administrator for the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN). She also contributed to the planning and execution of the 2023 CAPE Conference held in Calgary, Alberta.
Additionally, Angel has been instrumental in developing partnerships with post-secondary institutions to create transfer credit and advanced standing opportunities for CPS members pursuing relevant academic programs. Her work reflects a deep passion for supporting others in their educational journeys through intentional mentorship, continuous development, and a commitment to excellence in police education.
Angel has been involved with the Canadian Association of Police Educators (CAPE) since 2023 and is proud to contribute to the advancement of police education across Canada.
Frances Chen
Frances Chen | JIBC
Secretary
Frances has served as the Records and Compliance Specialist at the JIBC Police Academy in New Westminster, British Columbia since 2024.
Frances has an Honours BA in English Literature as well as a Masters in Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Frances previously worked for an engineering consulting company.
Frances has been a member of CAPE since 2025.