Hi Boulder! Happy August!

I hope everyone is having an amazing summer so far. It has been very busy for us. I am happy to share that things have calmed down after the attack in June, and we are mostly back to the day-to-day regular operations of BPD. Once again, I want to thank everyone for the continued support in the aftermath of the attack.

We were devastated when we learned that one of the victims, Karen Diamond, died of her injuries. Our hearts continue to be with the Diamond family and friends and our entire Jewish Community. 

This month, I want to talk about some updates we have recently made. When I became the chief last year, I tasked our leadership team with developing a new Mission, Vision, and Values statement as well as a new motto. Recently, we finalized those and wanted to share them with you, so you know what to expect from us and what we expect of our employees.

A great deal of thought went into these new pillars of our agency, and we ensured that we developed things that our employees not only embraced but could remember. We also wanted to make sure the new statements were in line with city values and our Reimagine Policing Plan. I think that they meet all of these criteria.

Our Vision Statement is meant to be something we aspire to achieve and a guidepost for moving forward. I think we are well underway! Our new Vision Statement is:

“A safe community built on trust through unwavering service, collaboration, and exceptional policing.”

What you will see from this vision statement is something that I have stressed in the past, we need your help to achieve it. Community collaboration, voices, and feedback are integral in achieving our vision, so thank you for all of the help so far, and let’s keep moving forward. 

Our updated Mission Statement is designed to be something that every member can learn and embrace, and something that is meant to ground us in the work we do. You will also note that you, our community, are an important part of this statement. Our updated Mission Statement is:

“Enhance public safety by focusing on community engagement, innovative problem-solving, and employee wellness and development.”

We also re-developed our core values to reflect where we’ve been, where we are, and all that has shaped where we are, including feedback from our community. These values will be something each employee is held to and expected to embody. Our updated core values are:

•    Respect
•    Integrity
•    Resilience
•    Excellence

Lastly, we wanted to add a motto, and we even have it prominently displayed in our staircase that our staff walk through as they head out into the community.

Our new motto is: “Willing to Serve, Ready to Protect.”

This motto embodies our core reason for existing and highlights the commitment to service and our fundamental goal of protecting this community. 

We hope these updates show our community that we are committed to continuing to develop and learn, and also that we are here for you.

I want to end by highlighting our upcoming 2025 Boulder Police Community Police Academy, which is a way for interested members to get a glimpse at what policing really looks like. So many in our society form their opinion about what it is like to be a police officer from TV or the news, and there is much, much more that goes into our daily jobs than what you will see on TV. This is an opportunity to see what we do, how we do it, use some of the tools we have, and to ask as many questions about law enforcement as you want. Attendees will leave with a much better understanding of what it takes to be a police officer, what their daily duties entail, and, from the feedback we’ve received, a much greater appreciation for what our officers and staff do.

The expanded 8-week academy starts Sept. 3 and goes until Oct. 22. It’s a 3-hour class every Wednesday night here at Boulder Police and attendees will learn about a variety of topics including Patrol, Drones, Traffic, K9, SWAT, Victim Services and more. They’ll also meet me and our Command Staff as well as get a tour of the facility, Dispatch, and police vehicles.

Applications are due by 12 p.m. Thursday, August 7. 

Questions about the academy? Please contact Commander Rachael Clark at ClarkR@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3479.

Lean more and apply via our website.

We will be here if you need us. Stay safe out there, Boulder.

Steve Redfearn, police chief