One week after resigning as chief of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, Hugh Stevenson has issued his first public statement on why he is running for the Conservative Party of Canada in the federal election.
The written statement comes five days after Stevenson’s campaign team told SooToday to send questions by email. At this point, Stevenson has declined all interview requests from SooToday.
“I bring 38 years of policing experience across three police services, including serving as Chief of Police in Sault Ste. Marie in recent years," Stevenson's statement said.
“I’ve chosen to run as the Conservative candidate in this federal election because I’ve seen firsthand the consequences of a lost Liberal decade—rising crime, chaos, drug abuse, and disorder taking hold in our streets.
“Liberal bill C-5 allows dangerous criminals to avoid jail time for serious crimes like gun offences, leaving communities less safe. Liberal bill C-75 makes it way too easy for violent offenders to get bail and has created a revolving door allowing them back on the streets to hurt people again.
“I’m running with Pierre Poilievre because I believe we need to reverse these Liberal policies that have unleashed a crime wave across this country. Since the Liberals came to power violent crime is up 50 per cent, gun crime is up by 116 per cent, homicides are up by 28 per cent, sexual assaults are up 75 per cent, hate crimes have risen by 250 per cent.
“Canada First Conservatives will repeal Liberal soft-on-crime laws, bring jail, not bail for repeat violent offenders and crack down on border smuggling and stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals and gangs in Canada.
“The Algoma region has the highest per capita death rate from the fentanyl crisis and the current Liberal government has exacerbated the problem.
“Only Common Sense Conservatives will stop handing out taxpayer-funded hard drugs, impose mandatory life sentences on fentanyl kingpins, and invest in treatment and recovery to bring home our loved ones drug-free. With 38 years of frontline service and seven years as Chief of Police, I’ve consistently shown my commitment to the safety of this community.
“As your Member of Parliament, my priorities will be clear: first, creating a safer downtown where residents of Algoma and the Sault can shop, work, and enjoy themselves without fear; and second, strengthening our resource sector—particularly projects like the Ring of Fire—to ensure economic opportunities and prosperity for local people of all backgrounds.”
SooToday has not verified the statistics included in Stevenson's statement.
Although he didn’t answer our specific written questions, Stevenson has been busy this week on social media — posting several memes about Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre.
Earlier in the week, SooToday spoke with Stevenson’s campaign manager who said they have been working to open their campaign office and busy knocking on doors.
He said he wasn’t sure if the media would be invited to a campaign launch or if Stevenson would do media interviews during the campaign.
Stevenson, who made $225,782.27 as police chief in 2024, told the police services board last Friday that his final day at the service would be Sunday, March 23.