Thunder Bay Police Service swears in chaplain

July 9, 2025

The Thunder Bay Police Service officially welcomed its chaplain on Wednesday.


Chaplain Deobrah Kraft was officially sworn in and took her formal oath during a ceremony at the Thunder Bay Police Service headquarters before Justice of the Peace Jerry Woods, with police leadership including Chief Darcy Fleury and Deputy Chiefs Ryan Hughes and Jeremy Pearson, along with Thunder Bay Police Service Board members Ken Boshcoff and Kasey Etreni, and members of her family in attendance.


Chaplain Kraft has been the Anglican Archdeacon of the Thunder Bay-North Shore Deanery since 2011, and was the priest at St. Paul's Anglican Church from 2005 to 2023.


She led the annual National Police and Peace Officers Memorial Day service in Thunder Bay for many years and began working with the Thunder Bay Police Service in 2020.


"The chaplain is a unique and vital part of our police family," Thunder Bay Police Service Chief Darcy Fleury said. "They are a source of calm, a trusted confidant, and a steady presence in times of both personal and professional crisis."


Chaplain Kraft provides spiritual guidance in a non-denominational manner, whether it being offering support after critical incidents, checking in with members, or sharing inspiring messages.


She holds multiple degrees, including an MBA from the University of Toronto and an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology from Thorneloe University.

July 28, 2025
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July 25, 2025
The Thunder Bay Police Service is continuing to raise awareness of fraud schemes and scams that target local residents. Distraction fraud is a tactic used by scammers where they’ll identify targets about to use a debit or credit card, such as in a store making a purchase or at an ATM. It’s common for the scheme to have multiple individuals involved and to target elderly victims. With this fraud, perpetrators will observe their targets entering the PIN of their debit or credit cards and may discretely use video recordings to detect the number. Then, the perpetrators will distract the victim while the card is stolen. The card, with the PIN, is then quickly used to withdraw cash or make high-value purchases. Anyone who has had a debit or credit card lost or stolen should contact their financial institution immediately to prevent someone else from being able to access funds. The Thunder Bay Police Service’s Economic Crime Unit urges residents to speak to family members and friends who may be vulnerable to being targeted by fraud. Prevention is the best protection against fraud. If you are concerned about potential scams and want to learn more, please visit https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/safety/fraud-prevention or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre ( http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/ ) To make a fraud/cyber crime online report to the Thunder Bay Police Service, please visit: https://www.services.tryrubicon.com/thunder-bay-police-service/online-reports/report/fraud-cybercrime
July 25, 2025
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