Chief of Police - Winter Park (CO)
The Town of Winter Park, Colorado, is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and community-focused law enforcement executive to serve as its next Chief of Police. This is an outstanding opportunity to lead the Fraser Winter Park Police Department, a full-service agency providing police services to the Towns of Winter Park and Fraser through a long-standing intergovernmental partnership.
About the role
Reporting directly to the Town Manager, the Chief of Police will provide strategic leadership for all department operations, including patrol, investigations, administration, records, code enforcement, budgeting, and personnel development. The next Chief will build on the department's strong culture of professionalism while strengthening community partnerships, preparing the organization for continued growth, and leading future initiatives, including planning for a new police facility.
Winter Park is one of Colorado's premier mountain communities, located approximately 67 miles west of Denver. Known for world-class skiing, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, and year-round recreation, the community offers an exceptional quality of life. Winter Park serves as the economic and recreational hub of the Fraser Valley and continues to experience thoughtful growth while maintaining its welcoming mountain-town character.
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or GED
- Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible law enforcement experience
- At least five (5) years in a supervisory or command-level position (Sergeant, Lieutenant/Commander, Captain, or above)
- Colorado POST Basic Certificate or equivalent with the ability to obtain Colorado POST certification within six months
- Valid driver's license with satisfactory driving record
Preferred
- Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Public Administration, or a related field
- Graduation from the FBI National Academy, Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, or equivalent executive leadership program
- Demonstrated experience leading community-oriented policing organizations and managing organizational growth
Ideal candidate
The ideal candidate is an approachable, servant-minded leader with exceptional interpersonal skills and a demonstrated commitment to community policing, employee development, transparency, and ethical leadership. Experience leading organizational growth, managing complex budgets, building regional partnerships, and mentoring future leaders will be highly valued.
Pay
The salary range for this position is $155,731–$233,596 DOE/DOQ.