Steve Redfearn, interim police chief

Happy June!

I am so excited that warmer days are finally here! As we look forward to a beautiful summer in Boulder there is a lot going on!

From festivals to the farmer’s market to Bands on the Bricks, there will be many great events, and your BPD will be here to ensure everyone is safe.

June is exciting for many reasons. We will celebrate Father’s Day, and I will reflect upon the incredible father my dad, John, was to me. He passed away unexpectedly in 2012, and Father’s Day has not been the same since. I hope you will all get some time with your fathers if they are still with you, and to all the dads out there, I hope you enjoy some quality time with your children.

The photo of John Redfearn was taken Christmas Day in 1957 in Manhattan Beach California. 

June also marked “Pride Month” and you will see numerous BPD staff wearing our new pride badges. They were designed by one of our detectives who wanted to show support for our LGBTQ+ community with whom we have been working hard to form stronger bonds and relationships. Sadly, when we shared our new pride badge on social media, some of the anti-LGBTQ+ comments prove exactly why we must still have things like Pride to not only show our community we are supportive, but also to show our staff who identify as LGBTQ+ that we value and support them not just in June, but all year long. 

As a proud, out gay man, Pride Month is important to me, but it means so much more that just bringing awareness and support to LGBTQ+ issues. Pride Month for me provides a time of reflection knowing that in the not-so-distant past, someone like me would never hold a leadership position in a police department and be comfortable or safe enough to be “out” and bring my husband to police events.

To be the Interim Police Chief is a point of extreme pride for me not just personally, but because of what it represents for others like me who may not think they have a place in this profession.

Pride Month is also about being proud of our profession and our state for how we embrace diversity in our community and within the ranks of our law enforcement agencies. I am so proud to be in Boulder as well as Colorado because I have friends in other parts of the country who are not able to be themselves at work, and are treated differently, discriminated against, and even fired from agencies based on who they love. While we still have work to do here in Colorado, I am proud that we have leaders who ensure that everyone has a seat at the table.

My goal is for young people who might be thinking about a career in policing to look to Boulder PD as a shining example of how everyone not only has an equal opportunity to work with us, but to excel. I am so proud that the diversity of our staff far exceeds the diversity of the community and while we are constantly focused on being more diverse, we are far ahead of many places, and I am proud to lead such a diverse agency.

If you are interested in working in law enforcement but think that you can’t because you don’t see people like you represented, I urge you to reach out to us at BPD and come in for a tour or a ride along. I assure you that if you meet our qualifications, we have a seat at the table for you. 

I wish everyone a safe and healthy start to summer and I hope to see you at the many upcoming events we have in the city. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we continue to ensure that Boulder is safe for everyone, and that BPD is the best law enforcement agency in the country!

In partnership,

Steve Redfearn, interim police chief

We received a phone call this week commending Officer Ray and it was so kind we had to share it!

“I just wanted to call because I had an amazing interaction with one of your patrol officers yesterday, Officer Ray. She was trying to get a walker for someone, and I happen to work at the Legion and I’ve worked extensively with the Homeless Outreach Team in town and she called and I think that we have now made a great contact,” the community member said.

“She was super amazing when she came up to the Legion to grab the walker for the person. I just wanted to let the important people know that your patrol officers are really doing a great job helping folks and I really appreciate them tremendously. So, well played, well played.”

A community member wrote to command Officer Phares after a ride along: "The professionalism and empathy you 
exhibited on repeated occasions was remarkable. I was surprised and impressed at the multi-tasking that was required as you were on patrol: scanner in your earpiece, dispatch in the car, laptop lineup, and texts from Flock. All done while you’re speaking to your sergeant on your cell phone about an escalating issue. The continuous triage of issues all while scanning the road and alleys ahead." 

We're currently hiring for Dispatchers to be the calming voice on the line when our community calls for help. Applications are due June 25 and you can learn more and request to sit along with a dispatcher by contacting us. Apply and learn more via our website!

We will reopen our application process for police officers starting June 14. You can contact a recruiter, learn more and find the job link when it goes live on our website here.

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