Olympia’s interim police chief to retire
Interim Olympia Police Chief Aaron Jelcick plans to retire by Sept. 30 after almost two years on the job, the city announced Friday.
Jelcick told The Olympian he does not have a new job lined up but has not closed the door on finding other work. He said he simply felt it was the right time to retire.
“There’s a time and a place for everything,” Jelcick said. “I just feel like now is a great time for me to spend more time with my family doing some of the things that I love to do.”
The city plans to select a new interim chief soon and restart its search for a permanent chief within the next one to two months, according to a news release. City Manager Jay Burney praised Jelcick for stepping into the chief position during a difficult time for the city.
“I am tremendously grateful for his leadership and support as we’ve navigated a global pandemic, social unrest, and as we have taken on the important task of reimagining public safety,” Burney said in the release. “His commitment to the City of Olympia and the Olympia Police Department is unmatched.”
Jelcick became interim chief in November 2019 when Chief Ronnie Roberts retired. He has remained in the position as the city has struggled to find a permanent replacement.
In April, Jelcick was among four finalists for the job when the city called off its search after a news story about one of the other candidates raised questions about the city’s vetting process. The story described finalist Derrick Turner grabbing a man by the throat while he was an officer in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Neither Burney or the consulting firm hired by the city to run the hiring process were aware of the story prior to naming Turner a finalist.
In Friday’s news release, the city made no mention of the previous delay but indicated it will conduct a “broad, inclusive and transparent process.”
Jelcick included some parting words in the release, saying he has felt privileged and honored to serve the Olympia community over the past 28-1/2 years.
“The past several years have been challenging for those serving in a law enforcement profession, but despite these challenges the Olympia Police Department continued to learn, adapt and improve in how it served the community,” Jelcick said.
In speaking with The Olympian, Jelcick commended those he works with at the department and called it a wonderful place to work.
“I’m super proud of the work that we do,” Jelcick said. “I think we are one of the most highly trained and professional organizations in this law enforcement profession and I stand behind that every day I come to work.”
In his time at OPD, the release says, Jelcick served as a patrol officer, training officer, Thurston County Narcotics Task Force detective, police detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, police lieutenant, Deputy Police Chief and finally Interim Police Chief.
As chief, Jelcick was responsible for 110 employees and an annual operating budget of $21.8 million, according to the release. This included 76 commissioned personnel, 13 corrections officers and 21 civilians.
In 2015, the Olympia City Council appointed him to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee for Police and Community Relations, per the release.
The city also credited him with leading the department’s Crisis Response Unit and Familiar Faces Program — two alternative police responses for people suffering mental health and substance use disorder.
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 10:54 AM.
