BOISE, Idaho — After roughly two decades in law enforcement, Chris Dennison is taking on a new challenge as Boise Police Chief. Monday marked the start of his first full week on the job.
"I think the PD is in a really good place," he said, "and I feel very fortunate coming to the department at this time."
Dennison said he is passionate about prioritizing employees' mental and physical health. He wants to make sure they are well-supported to handle whatever the job throws at them.
"Making sure that we're taking care of those that are tasked with taking care of the community is of importance. I really like to say that healthy people help people; hurt people hurt people," he said. "So, I really want to do what I can to take care of the officers, the detectives, the professional staff, the command team, to make sure that they're in a good place."
Dennison said he is determined to ensure the department can keep up with growth in the area and has enough resources to tackle any needs that arise, like infrastructure and traffic.
He also said he committed to equipping officers so they can de-escalate situations that could lead to a police shooting. BPD data shows there have been three so far this year. There were six in 2023, the most in more than a decade.
"We're going to look at partner agencies, not just locally, but across the nation, and go, 'Okay, what are they doing that may be able to mitigate certain things, so officers aren't forced put into a position where they have to discharge their firearms or shoot somebody,'" he said.
BPD has faced a number of internal problems in the last couple of years as well. One, that resulted in an investigator giving the department recommendations last year about how it hires and promotes its people.
Dennison said he is still getting to know BPD's history, policies and procedures. He plans on working with city leadership, the union and command staff to ensure the department is the best it can be.
Dennison replaced Ron Winegar, who retired late last week. Mayor Lauren McLean swore the new chief in this summer after a months-long search that involved extensive community participation.
"It was apparent that he cared deeply about officer wellness and the desire to create a great environment for our officers," McLean told KTVB before the swearing in.
Dennison, the former assistant chief of the Tucson Police Department, saw the job posting through an email from a national law enforcement think tank. He typically ignores those emails, but said something about Boise stood out.
"Everything I heard was just amazing," Dennison said. "I thought, what a great opportunity to get a chance to come here, bring my family here, my wife and my daughter, and raise her in such a great community, and really be a part of a great police department here, as well as an amazing community."
Dennison said he is excited to work with the "tremendous men and women that come in here every day and are dedicated to the mission of serving the community."