Earlier this week saw the change of command for the London Police Service as Murray Faulkner departed and Brad Duncan was sworn in as the new Chief.

It was done with appropriate pomp and ceremony, a few (thankfully brief) speeches and the literal passing of the official Police Service colours from Faulkner to Duncan, symbolic of the passing of the power of command.

The new chief was selected by members of the Police Services Board, acting as custodians of the public welfare, and their choice has been widely noted as an excellent one. It didn’t happen as the result of behind-the-scenes string-pulling, or cash changing hands, or people being forcefully removed from contention, all of which are regular occurrences when power changes hands in many parts of the world.

And even though for most law-abiding people the police don’t seem to have much “power”, other than the ability to issue speeding tickets and such, in a time of emergency they are the most organized and well-equipped organization in the city (the Canadian Forces excepted, of course). That’s power.

Not to mention the most well-armed, which in many parts of the world is pretty much all that matters, and gets you the keys to the community chest. That’s even more power. It is little wonder, perhaps, that in so many places the words “police” and “corruption” go hand in hand.

But not in this country, and not in this city, two realities for which we should all be profoundly thankful.

The selection of our new police chief came not as the result of a putsch for power, nor because sinister forces behind the scenes wanted access to the kind of control over the populace that keeps so many societies literally under the gun.

It was the result of an honest search for the most qualified and appropriate candidate, the individual who, among all the applicants, had the most to offer the Police Service and the people of London at this time.

And when the former chief, who was selected in the same way, handed over the colours to the new chief, it was a sterling testament to the strength of our civic institutions, and the honesty of the people who work to serve and maintain them.

We can be proud of our new chief, but we should be proud of our society, too. So proud that we never take for granted what so many people have worked so hard to create and maintain- a way of life where the rule of law truly matters.