Ron Gibson admits his latest appointment will be “bittersweet,” with Redmond getting the sweet end of the deal, according to top city officials.
Mayor John Marchione — with unanimous confirmation by the city council — selected Gibson, the Deputy Police Chief of Colorado Springs, Colo., as the city’s next police chief.
Gibson, 51, who has spent the last three decades serving Colorado Springs Police Department in a myriad of capacities, will officially start his new job at a June 1 swearing-in ceremony, Marchione said. The swearing-in ceremony will be at 12:45 p.m. at the Northeast District Court, Courthouse No. 3, 8601 160th Ave. N.E.
“It really is bittersweet,” Gibson told the Reporter in a phone interview Wednesday evening. “It will be tough to leave, but Redmond gives me a chance to start a new chapter in my life, in my career. I really like the area.”
Gibson does have some connections to the Northwest as his adult daughter lives in Everett.
“That will make the adjustment a lot easier, having family here,” said Gibson, who also has an adult son, who lives in Colorado Springs.
Gibson, who has extensive experience in police operations and administration, attended part of Tuesday’s city council meeting, during which the council members voted 6-0 (Kim Allen was absent) in favor of the mayor’s recommendation to hire Gibson. Tuesday’s vote capped a more-than-year-long, nationwide search for Redmond’s next top cop after former longtime chief Steve Harris retired in March of 2009.
“The process to hire a new police chief took just over one year and has been well worth the time,” said City Council President Richard Cole. “In Mr. Gibson, Redmond is gaining a chief who is a true professional with a proven law enforcement track record and a commitment to continuing the community-oriented policing emphasis established in Redmond.”
Gibson brings substantial experience to the police chief position through a long and varied career for Colorado Springs, where he started as a patrol officer, worked his way up the ranks and provided leadership for several successful law enforcement campaigns.
“He is a great catch for Redmond PD,” said Redmond Police Commander Shari Shovlin, who served on one of the hiring committees. “He’s ethical, honest and a dedicated public servant. It’s bittersweet for him, but him coming to Redmond is a breath of fresh air.”
Experienced law enforcer
Gibson comes from a big-city police department — Colorado Springs has nearly 1,000 personnel, including 675 sworn officers — but has experience of managing a police department the size of RPD, which has 135 employees, including around 90 sworn officers. Between 2002-05, he served as the precinct commander for the Sand Creek Division of Colorado Springs, which had about 120 total personnel at the time, Gibson said. He has served as the department’s deputy chief since 2008.
RPD’s tight-knit, community-based approach is what attracted Gibson to Redmond, he said.
“I wasn’t looking for any chief job,” he said. “I wanted the right one. I couldn’t find a reason not to apply.”
In Gibson, Redmond is getting a proven, charismatic leader who has earned the respect from his peers, Marchione said.
“He has a great ability to connect with people,” Marchione told the Reporter Wednesday afternoon. “He is a very genuine person. He gives you the straight story. The officers in his department appreciate his directness. We are very excited.”
Gibson has been active in the Colorado Springs community and was a board member of TESSA, the center for prevention of domestic violence for El Paso County, between 2002-07. Gibson also provided guidance to a campaign to decrease crime in Colorado Springs’ entertainment district, known for its alcohol-related incidents.
Last fall, he helped form Colorado Springs’ Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), which has made “a tremendous difference,” according to Gibson, in decreasing the homeless rate and improving the appearance of the city.
“Officers did all that without an arrest,” Gibson said. “It was a coordinated effort with the social services. … We brought everyone to the table and that made a big difference.”
Gibson’s creative, cooperative leadership approach is what set him apart from the other 42 applicants, Marchione said.
“Throughout the interview process, Ron displayed the characteristics and traits required of a director of my management team,” Marchione said. “His leadership and management skills, along with excellent interpersonal skills, will make him a valuable addition to the city’s police department and community.”
Gibson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Colorado State University and a Master’s in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado. In addition, he is a graduate of several leadership programs, including the FBI National Academy, DEA Drug Unit Commanders Academy and the Center for Creative Leadership.
Unanimous choice
Gibson was selected as one of two finalists — both from Colorado — who were invited for on-site interviews in March. Three diverse panels, including the mayor, city department directors, RPD command staff, union representatives, a Civil Service Commission member and Kirkland Police Chief Eric Olsen, interviewed the the finalists and Gibson was the “unanimous pick,” Marchione said.
“He has a great combination of police operation experience and police management,” Marchione said. “He knows what the cop on the street does and knows about police leadership. His leadership style very much fits Redmond.”
RPD worked closely with the city’s human resource department as the city opted to do its own selection work rather than contracting with a hiring consultant. Shovlin said the city’s human resource department did an excellent job during the selection process — and now the city can “take ownership” of the efforts that led to the hiring of Gibson.
“We feel we picked our own police chief,” she said. “We didn’t hire a consultant. We can take ownership now.”
Following a series of state-mandated physical and psychological tests on Wednesday and today, Gibson said he was going to meet with the mayor tomorrow, finalize the deal and then head back to Colorado on Saturday. He said he and his wife plan to move to Redmond in late May, rent for a year and then decide where to settle for the long term.
Interim police chief Tim Fuller — who has done an admirable job, according to Marchione — will return to his job as the Redmond Fire Department Chief when Gibson takes over and interim fire chief Bob Oliver will resume as deputy fire chief.
