The Boise Police Department is getting closer to hiring a new Chief of Police.
Later this month, three candidates, narrowed down from 20 applicants, will visit the city for two days to meet with both the public and BPD staff. They will also participate in panel interviews.
The men come from all over the United States. Jeffrey Bert is the Chief of Police in Tomball, Texas. Prior to that, he served in the LAPD and was recently a finalist for the chief position in Durango.
Chris Dennison is the Assistant Chief for the Tucson Police Department where he served in various roles for 20 years. And finally, Tom Worthy is chief in The Dalles Police Department, in Oregon. he also served in the State Police. He currently is also a finalist for the Police Chief role in Spokane.
The Department has received a lot of attention following a series of controversies, including an investigation into one captain’s ties to a white supremacy group and a settlement with the previous head of the Office of Police Accountability.
Current Boise Police Chief, Ron Winegar, has been serving in his role since 2022, first as interim police chief, then as the official Chief. Winegar will be retiring in September.
He first took on the role as interim chief in 2019, and stepped in this time again after the previous head of the department, Ryan Lee, was asked to resign following reports of misconduct and verbal abuse.
This new candidate will be the third police chief Mayor Lauren Mclean hires in four years.
