A member of Victoria's police board has resigned after failing to convince fellow members to delay the selection of a new police chief.
Catherine Holt quit Wednesday night after the unanimous defeat of her motion to stall the hiring of the police chief until after the board's new chair and vice-chair are sworn in on December 2.
Holt has served on the police board for four years and believes incoming board members, such as Victoria's new mayor -- who was elected on Saturday -- should have a say in the high-level hiring.
But outgoing Victoria Mayor and police board chair Alan Lowe reportedly says Holt's sudden resignation does not do her position much justice -- and he wants to push ahead with the hiring of a new chief
Victoria's police department has been under a cloud since the last chief, Paul Battershill, resigned after having an affair with a police board lawyer. There is wide speculation the new chief will be Vancouver's former top cop Jamie Graham.
Related links: Ex-top cop Graham found guilty of misconduct
Last month, a Vancouver-based legal advocacy organization issued a release saying an independent police review had found Graham guilty of discreditable conduct for blocking an investigation into his officers' conduct.
Graham is currently running a security consulting business, and works as a bike salesman at a Vancouver bike shop for two Saturdays a month.
