Get to Know Your Boulder Police Department

Steve Redfearn, police chief

Hello Boulder!

I hope everyone is adjusting to summer winding down and school starting up again! It definitely feels busier in town with CU students back. I spent a shift out on patrol on the first Friday night of back-to-school weekend, and it was very busy on the Hill and downtown. 

People often ask what our plan is for back to school, and I can share that we block out calendars for the first few weeks to ensure that we have lots of staffing. Our officers work a variety of shifts to ensure a large presence on University Hill. We do this to ensure students understand the expectation that they follow the law, especially when it comes to alcohol use. We have already issued dozens of tickets related to underage drinking and do a great deal of education as well.

You may not know, but we also have a dedicated team assigned to University Hill. Our Neighborhood Impact Team (NIT), as it’s called, is responsible for patrolling the area, fostering relationships with CU, and providing liaisons to the fraternities and sororities. This comes in very handy when parties get out of hand, or we have other issues, because the team already knows who to contact because of established relationships, which make it easier to swiftly resolve complaints.

As we talk about school, it reminded me that recently I mentioned to someone that we have a BPD Management Team book club. When I became chief, I brought the idea of having a book club to our team, and surprisingly it was met with eagerness. I started the book club because I love to read and believe that we must keep up to speed on relevant, current issues, and also expand our knowledge base, especially things outside policing. I have had the privilege of attending some leadership courses in recent years, like Harvard’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government, and it reminded me of the importance of staying on top of your craft and continuing to be lifelong learners. I am proud that our team has embraced this as well.

We have now read several books, and while I have suggested some, our team has come up with their own submissions as well. We were lucky enough to even have one of the authors Zoom in with us when we did one of our book discussions. 

So far, we have read the following (and listened to one podcast): 

•    Writing for Busy Readers; Todd Rogers & Jessica Lasky Fink
•    The Devil Never Sleeps; Juliette Kayem 
•    Carpe Audience; John Michael Keyes
•    The Advantage; Patrick Lencioni
•    Lincoln on Leadership; Donald Phillips
•    Episodes #561 - #564 of Freakonomics Radio (How to Succeed at Failure), re-aired May 2025, available here, and 
•    Struggle Well; Ken Falke & Josh Goldberg

If you have any ideas for books that we could benefit from reading, please let me know!

A few of the Management Team book club books.

Now, it is time to introduce another member of our leadership team, as I have been doing now for several months. For context, our leadership team consists of the chief, two deputy chiefs, a chief of staff, six commanders, a Dispatch manager, a Records manager, a public information officer, a legal advisor, a chief data analyst, a Business Services manager, and the chief’s executive assistant. I've previously written about our Chief of Staff Alastair McNiven, Operations Deputy Chief Barry Hartkopp Support Services Deputy Chief Ron Gosage and Support Services Commander Rachael Clark.

Commander Mike Heath is currently assigned to Watch 1 (day shift) but assigned full-time to our efforts in planning for the Sundance Film Festival in January. Additionally, he’s responsible for many other teams and I’ll let him tell you more about himself.

Commander Mike Heath

Mike currently oversees the department’s Homeless Outreach and Unsanctioned Camping Teams, Community Services, the Pearl Street Mall Team, the Traffic Unit, the BPD K9 Team, and Special Events. He has also taken lead for the city’s Public Safety Team in planning for the Sundance Film Festival coming to Boulder in 2027.

He began his career with the Boulder Police in 2004, serving in a variety of assignments including Patrol, School Resource Officer, Pearl Street Mall officer, Patrol sergeant, Neighborhood Impact Team sergeant and the Special Enforcement Unit. Mike has also held several collateral duties including patrol training officer/mentor/sergeant, a background investigator, a crime scene investigator, a member of the Emergency Response Team, and Boulder Police Officer’s Association Vice President. He was also an Officer Survival Instructor, specializing in active harmful event response.  

"Being a police officer has given me the opportunity to be part of something much bigger than myself," he says. "I’ve been fortunate to do things in this career that most people never get the opportunity to experience, including providing dignitary protection during several presidential visits, participating in high-risk incidents, and engaging with our community in some truly unique ways.

"What I enjoy most is knowing that I can make even the smallest positive impact on someone’s life. I especially enjoy working with our Community Engagement Team and having fun, positive interactions with the people we serve. I also love that this job is never predictable. You never really know what the day is going to bring, and that keeps the career interesting."

Commander Heath shares a laugh with a kid during a game at one of his Pearl Street Mall walks.

"The Police Department and the people I work with have truly become my second family. We’ve been through some of the best and worst times together and have forged relationships that you simply don’t find in a typical workplace."

Mike has held every role as a member of the SWAT Team from 2009-2026, serving as an operator, sniper, assistant team leader, team leader, assistance commander, and commander.

Commander Heath during SWAT training.

Throughout his career, he has received numerous internal and external awards for his leadership and service, including seven Awards of Excellence and the STAR Award. He was recognized for his work in some of the most significant events in Boulder during his tenure, including the 2013 Boulder floods, the King Soopers mass casualty incident, the Marshall Fire, and the Pearl Street Attack.

Mike presents around the country on the department’s response to the King Soopers incident.  

Commander Heath presenting to a group about the mass casualty attack in 2021.

Mike grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and moved to Colorado after graduating high school in 1994. He worked for seven years in juvenile detention before becoming a police officer.  

Mike has two children Cooper (23) and Roman (turning 21 this month), who are both from Guatemala. Cooper is working in an apprenticeship in welding and sheet metal and Roman is pursuing a career as a paramedic.

Mike poses at a Rockies game with his sons and after his promotion ceremony.

During their off time, Mike and his wife Amber enjoy riding their Indian Motorcycle, camping, attending concerts, and traveling. "Riding is something that requires your full attention. You can’t think about the issues going on at home or at work because your mind has to be completely focused on the ride, the road, and what’s around you.

"For my wife and me, it’s also a great way to disconnect. We get to leave everything else behind, spend time together, and just enjoy being with one another."

Mike and Amber have recently started a tradition of attending the Telluride Horror Film Festival. He also enjoys an occasional cigar with Cooper, Amber, and friends. When asked why, Mike said, "because my wife loves horror movies, and I love her. It doesn’t hurt that the festival is in one of the most beautiful towns in the country! Second to Boulder of course."

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Commander Heath, and if you have any questions about any areas for which he’s responsible, let us know! 

Steve Redfearn, police chief 

Boulder Police are seeking experienced, service-driven law enforcement professionals who lead with integrity, professionalism, humanity, and courage.

As a Boulder Police Officer, you will protect life and property, preserve public safety, and build meaningful partnerships within our diverse community through proactive, community-oriented policing. Officers respond to calls for service, conduct criminal and traffic enforcement, perform investigations, engage in problem-solving initiatives, and collaborate with residents, businesses, and partner agencies to address public safety concerns.

Boulder Police Officers are empowered to think critically, act decisively, and serve compassionately while upholding the highest ethical standards. This role offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact in one of Colorado’s most engaged and progressive communities.

Employees with prior law enforcement experience may be paid at a level above the starting hourly rate as shown. The step which new employees enter the salary schedule is determined by the Chief of Police and Human Resources and years of service you bring as a Police Officer. Qualifying lateral police officers have the potential to receive a $10,000 hiring bonus.

We recently partnered with our friends at the Boulder County Sheriff's Office to create some helpful videos about the increasing number of and calls about e-motos in our communities.

We've gotten a LOT of feedback and encourage you to give them a watch if you have questions about what to buy your teens, what's legal to ride and where. You can read the details about what's allowed and where on our website and watch the videos on the BCSO's YouTube site.

Boulder Police Department home page: bouldercolorado.gov/government/departments/police