City Council Consents to Appointment of Ron Thomas as Chief of Police
Published on October 17, 2022
Denver – Monday, October 17, 2022 – This afternoon, Denver City Councilmembers consented to the nomination of Ron Thomas as the next Chief of the Denver Police Department. Mayor Michael B. Hancock nominated Ron Thomas to lead the Denver Police Department (DPD) following the retirement of Chief Paul Pazen.
“I am incredibly honored to serve this great city as Chief of Police and am grateful to my family, as well as the many mentors and colleagues who have contributed to my successes over the past three decades,” said Chief Thomas. “I believe this achievement is a testament to my commitment to and focus on those I serve. I look forward to meeting the many challenges ahead, to include decreasing crime and increasing community trust.”
Raised in Denver and a graduate of Denver Public Schools, Chief Thomas joined DPD in 1989, after serving as a Denver Public Safety Cadet and continuing a family tradition of public service to the Denver community. Chief Thomas held numerous assignments in Patrol, Investigations, Special Operations and Administration within the department, including assignments as Commander of Police District Two, Police District Five, and the Denver Police Internal Affairs Bureau prior to his appointment as Division Chief of Patrol in 2018, where he oversaw patrol operations citywide. Throughout his career, Chief Thomas consistently demonstrated he is a collaborative leader, developing and sustaining lasting partnerships with neighborhood organizations, community leaders and other city agencies. While Commander of the Internal Affairs Bureau, Chief Thomas spearheaded the creation of the Denver Police Wellness and Resiliency Program, a multidimensional program providing education, awareness, training, and support with a focus on enhancing overall officer resiliency and the effective management of stress.
Chief Thomas’ main priority is to reduce and prevent crime, and since September 6, 2022, when he assumed day-to-day management of operations as acting Chief, has already initiated two strategies towards that goal. The first is having more police officers responding to calls for service and reducing the number of calls requiring officer response by enhancing alternate response mechanisms and expanding online reporting options. The second strategy in reducing crime is addressing the challenges in the city’s persistent violent crime hot spots holistically by utilizing concepts that have already proven to be effective on a smaller scale.