What strengths or vision do you bring to the table in your capacity as police chief, and how are they similar or different from prior leadership?

Having worked at HPD for 32 years in a wide range of assignments, I have a strong knowledge and understanding of how the department’s different divisions and units can work together to best serve the community. I have worked with or interacted with most of the officers in the department at some point in my career, so they are familiar with my leadership style. I’m willing to listen and am open to suggestions and recommendations.

My vision for the department is similar to prior administrations in that we all want to make our communities a safe environment to raise our families and live our lives.

What are some of the greatest challenges you’ve encountered in this position?

The biggest challenge is the public’s trust and perception of the HPD. What allegedly occurred during the prior administration does not reflect the values or views of our officers or the department. The allegations damaged the department and its reputation, and we now have the task of rebuilding a police department that the community and our officers can be proud of.

Another challenge is recruiting and hiring qualified individuals. HPD, like other police departments, has a large number of officer vacancies. We recently transitioned to continuous or year-round recruiting to make it easier and quicker for people to apply online. In the past, people could only apply during certain periods. We hope that the new process will cut the application time in half, from one year to six months. Hiring more officers means more officers on the road to respond to calls from the public.

How has the law enforcement world changed over the course of your career?  What game-changing dynamics in your industry have you had to adjust to or navigate?

Law enforcement has gone through big changes since I became an officer. One of the biggest is the use of technology. There were no computers when I came in, and now much of police work is computerized. We didn’t even have portable police radios. And definitely no cell phones or camera phones! The use of technology in every aspect of policing will continue to grow, and the department must keep up or risk falling behind.

What does it take to be an effective leader?

To be an effective chief, you should have a deep passion for this job and a genuine and real interest in making the department and the community better. You should devote equal amounts of energy to building external partnerships and community relations as you do with internal operations and employee relations. You also need to have a sense of humor, not take things personally and be self-aware. Everything you do or say is a reflection on the department, whether you’re on or off duty.

Do you think women lead differently than men?  Should we be calling attention to or downplaying these differences?

I don’t think that leadership skills are gender-based. When people make comments about a woman having strong leadership skills, it makes it seem unusual or rare, when it really isn’t. Every leader has her or his own way of working with people. Leaders who are inclusive and pull people together will be more successful than those who are autocratic.