Chief’s conduct outlined at Saskatchewan Police Commission hearing
The former Regina police chief has acknowledged having an inappropriate personal relationship with a member of the board that oversees the Regina Police Service while he appeals his dismissal. Farooq Sheikh testified before a three-person panel of the Saskatchewan Police Commission in Regina, admitting to hugging and kissing the board member and exchanging what he described as flirtatious text messages filled with sexual innuendo.
The hearing, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Regina, is the next step in Sheikh’s appeal of a decision by the board of police commissioners that fired him "with cause" in October 2025. The commission panel includes chair Aaron Fox and members Randy Pshebylo and Leanne Lang.
"A betrayal of his responsibilities," Mayor Chad Bachynski said of the conduct.
Court-ordered publication bans protect the identity of the board member and some details of the matters discussed at the hearing. Nevertheless, testimony disclosed actions that raise conflict-of-interest concerns and suggest the relationship intersected with official business.
Allegations of interference and a police probe
Sheikh admitted he sent text messages on Dec. 12, 2024, that encouraged the board member to approve changes to his employment contract. Those messages were sent during an in-camera meeting of the police board from which Sheikh said he had been excluded.
He also testified he called the same board member on Feb. 26, 2025, and discussed an ongoing drug-trafficking investigation. Sheikh said he had been informed the board member had close ties to one of the people who had been charged; he later learned the board member was more heavily implicated in that investigation. Details of the investigation remain subject to the publication ban because of ongoing criminal proceedings.
Those revelations prompted swift condemnation from local leaders. Regina’s mayor described the conduct as a breach of trust and responsibility, language that reflects broader concerns about how senior police conduct can affect public confidence in policing and oversight.
What happened when and why it matters
The case raises two central issues for Regina residents: whether the former chief used an intimate relationship to influence board decisions, and whether confidential policing information was inappropriately shared during that relationship. Both concerns touch on accountability mechanisms meant to keep policing independent, effective and free from improper influence.
- Sheikh admitted to a personal relationship and exchanged flirtatious texts with a board member.
- Messages urging contract changes were sent Dec. 12, 2024, during an in-camera meeting.
- Sheikh discussed a drug investigation with the board member on Feb. 26, 2025; details are covered by a publication ban.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Dec. 12, 2024 | Sheikh sent messages urging approval of contract changes during an in-camera meeting. |
| Feb. 26, 2025 | Sheikh called the board member and discussed an ongoing drug investigation. |
| Oct. 2025 | Sheikh was fired with cause by the board of police commissioners. |
| Sept. 2026 | Sheikh is appealing his dismissal before the Saskatchewan Police Commission in Regina. |
Because some information and identities remain under publication bans tied to criminal matters, the full public record is incomplete. That limitation constrains what the commission and the public can know while criminal proceedings continue.
Local implications and next steps
For Regina residents, the unfolding appeal is about more than one person’s career. It tests safeguards around the governance of the city’s police service: how board members and police leadership interact, what checks exist to prevent conflicts, and how those safeguards are enforced when they appear to be breached.
The Saskatchewan Police Commission will hear witnesses and review evidence before determining whether the board’s decision to dismiss Sheikh stands. Any findings may influence future decisions about governance, transparency and discipline within the Regina Police Service.
The publication bans and parallel criminal matters mean some answers will come only slowly and in stages. Until then, local officials and residents are left to weigh the evidence that has been disclosed and to consider what reforms, if any, should follow to restore confidence in local policing oversight.
