Before becoming chief of police for the Durham Regional Police Service, he served 24 years in the ranks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. , including as Assistant Commissioner for Information and Identification, in the Ottawa region. White also has experience in various communities across Canada, spending nearly 19 years in northern Canada where he served as the Commanding Officer of Nunavut in his last northern posting. As chief, he was responsible for community law enforcement in Canada's national capital city. He had been chief of police for the Durham Region.

While chief he received a number of community awards including the Just One Person award and the Community Builder of the Year award.

Political Career

On January 6, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced White's appointment to the Sendate; his appointment came into effect on February 20, 2012, in order to allow him to complete his term as Ottawa police chief. Like the other senators appointed at the time, White pledged to support the government's efforts on senate reform. White said that, even if term limits were not enacted, he would step down voluntarily after nine years (no later than February 20, 2021).