City of Olympia announces permanent police chief after more than two years
.jpg "After serving 10 months as interim chief, the City of Olympia announced on June 16 that Rich Allen has been named the permanent police chief of the Olympia Police Department.")
After serving 10 months in the job, the city of Olympia announced on Thursday that interim Police Chief Rich Allen has been named the permanent chief of the Olympia Police Department.
Allen has served in the interim role since October 2021. It’s been more than two years since the department has had a permanent chief, after Ronnie Roberts retired in November 2019. The search for a new chief was rocky, with it being paused on two occasions after issues with candidates arose.
According to the announcement from the city, Allen has worked in law enforcement for 30 years. He started as a 15-year-old volunteer with the department’s Police Explorers Program and has had professional experience as a patrol officer, training officer, motorcycle officer and detective. He graduated from the FBI National Academy and has earned certification from Washington’s Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Olympia city manager Jay Burney said after two years of searching for the right candidate who would bring a fresh perspective to the department, he found that person was already here.
“Rich Allen didn’t initially seek the Chief’s job,” Burney said in the news release. “But I watched him, as interim, do and support innovative work in the department. I saw that he was a confident, smart, innovative, humble leader who defaulted to and modeled the transparency and openness we are seeking.”
Allen said he appreciates the confidence Burney has shown in him throughout his time as the interim chief.
“Our department is filled with professionals who are dedicated to serving the city, and I’m proud to lead them,” he said in the news release.
On why he didn’t apply for the position in the first place, Allen attributed it to his love for field work.
“I am a patrol officer at heart. I love being a cop,” Allen told The Olympian. “Responding to 911 calls and helping people in their time of need is very rewarding, and it is difficult to close that chapter of my career. But I am also a public servant and have always stepped up into roles that have needed to be filled.”
The department has 110 employees, including 76 commissioned personnel, 13 corrections officers and 21 civilians. Its annual operating budget is $21.8 million. The chief’s salary is $205,000 per year.
In an interview with The Olympian on Thursday, councilmember Dontae Payne wanted to congratulate the city and community for finally having someone permanent in the position.
Payne praised Allen’s involvement in the reimagining public safety process for the city. He said Allen has been on the front lines of the work being done, attending and listening in on focus groups to get critical feedback from community members.
Payne said during the city’s police chief search they tried to recruit externally, as well as have a diverse candidate pool. He said he’s fully aware that diversity was a key detail for many community members.
“I do want to acknowledge that point, and I have spoken with Chief Allen and other city staff on the importance of diversifying the police department,” Payne said. “We encourage him to look for ways to continue to diversify our department. I have trust that he will do just that and try to address some of those concerns, because representation is important to the community.”
The city will host a virtual Town Hall on June 28 to give the public a chance to ask Allen questions about his plans for the department. It will be at 6 p.m., and those interested can register to attend online.
This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 10:27 AM.
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