Ian Lafrenire no longer head of Montreal police media team

In a shuffling of Montreal police's media relations department,Cmdr. IanLafrenire will be leaving his post as thehead of the service's communications division.

The media relations department will now operate under the director's office, Montreal's police chief, PhilippePichet,said ina newsconference Monday afternoon

"I met Ian Lafrenire this morning, and I informed him that he was to progress in the organization. Of course it was hard because he spent 20 years in the communications section," Pichet said.

Lafrenire, who has been withSPVMsince 1994, became the main public voice of the police force and a familiar name in the news whenhe took over as head of the communications division in 2012.

He willtransfer to another department and will be replaced by a civilian division chief. The job posting goes up tomorrow.

Pichet acknowledged thechanges would be "very hard" for Lafrenire, adding that it would take time for him to adjust.

The new department will be split into two sections: a media relations department headed by Cmdr. Marie-Claude Dandenaultand a section chief, yet to be named,in charge of internal and strategic communications.

Pichetsaid he had full confidenceLafrenire would serve his new functions in the SPVM well.