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SPOTLIGHT ON POLICE CHIEF HAYES
<br />How did you get your
<br />start in policing?
<br />When I was 18, I enrolled in
<br />the Police Cadet Program in
<br />Englewood before
<br />moving on to Thornton.
<br />After finishing the Cadet
<br />Program, I responded to
<br />an ad for a police officer
<br />position in Louisville so I
<br />actually started my career here in the city.
<br />What's your favorite memory of policing?
<br />I've been a Louisville resident for 30 years, raising my
<br />family here. I was with the Boulder Police Department
<br />for 36 years, and in 2014, I had the opportunity to
<br />return to our city as Police Chief, which is definitely my
<br />favorite memory. My family and I love Louisville, and
<br />I'm honored to lead the City's Police Department and
<br />serve this great community.
<br />Do you think policing is a good career choice for a
<br />young person today and what traits do you think
<br />make a good police officer?
<br />I think that policing continues to be a great profession,
<br />but anyone joining the profession needs to under-
<br />stand that the world is changing, as are policing and
<br />the criminal justice system.
<br />Resilience, empathy, and the ability to adapt are the
<br />most important traits. On a daily basis, you need to be
<br />ready for just about anything. Empathy and compas-
<br />sion are a huge part of being a police officer because
<br />often times you're not seeing people at their best, but
<br />you still need to be able to offer them your best.
<br />Police officers are taking on a lot of work that's not
<br />traditionally associated with policing, particularly in
<br />areas like mental health, which means officers need to
<br />be receptive to change and open to learning
<br />new skills.
<br />As a police officer, you need to be passionate about
<br />what you do and committed to ensuring public safety
<br />and improving quality of life, in partnership with our
<br />community.
<br />Tell us about your team.
<br />The Louisville Police Department is made up of
<br />36 officers and 8 civilian staff. As a relatively small
<br />department, people genuinely like each other, but we
<br />also hold each other accountable.
<br />During the pandemic, we've continued to deliver an
<br />excellent level of service to the community while tak-
<br />ing all necessary safety precautions.
<br />Our officers are hardworking, undertaking 12 hour
<br />shifts or longer. Most recently we had officers using
<br />their days off to work at the fires in Boulder County,
<br />doing fire watch and keeping an eye on
<br />neighborhoods. These choices reflect the integrity of
<br />Louisville's officers.
<br />We encourage our officers to investigate beyond the
<br />obvious and to make the situation better than they
<br />found it. This could be as simple as a follow up or
<br />checking in on someone.
<br />In June, you co -released a statement, along with all
<br />Boulder County law enforcement agencies,
<br />emphasizing that there is no room for any law
<br />enforcement professional who is biased against
<br />any group of people to be part of law enforcement.
<br />What would you like residents to know about the
<br />department's efforts to maintain peace in the
<br />community while ensuring equality and justice?
<br />The Louisville Police Department is committed to
<br />providing law enforcement services to the community
<br />with due regard for the racial, cultural or other
<br />differences of those served. It is the policy of the
<br />department to provide law enforcement services
<br />and to enforce the law equally, fairly, objectively and
<br />without discrimination toward any individual or group
<br />consistent with the City's mission and values.
<br />This is reinforced through the culture of the
<br />department and formalized through training and
<br />policies that address such topics as force/response to
<br />resistance, bias -based policing, professional standards,
<br />body cameras, mental health services, etc.
<br />Each year our officers always exceed the Colorado
<br />Police Officer Standard for training, undertaking more
<br />than is required. This training includes a variety of
<br />topics, including: implicit bias, anti -bias for law
<br />enforcement, civil rights, constitutional and
<br />community policing, proper use of force, report
<br />writing, less lethal weapons, defensive tactics, policy
<br />review, etc.
<br />We were partners in the City's recent Community
<br />Conversations on Racial Equity with Dr. Nita Mosby
<br />Tyler of The Equity Project. It is our hope to continue
<br />this dialogue as part of our departmental commitment
<br />to communication, collaboration, respect, and
<br />integrity.
<br />As police officers, we take an oath to never betray the
<br />public trust and to always have the courage to hold
<br />ourselves and others accountable for our actions. It's
<br />an oath we take seriously which guides our actions in
<br />all interactions with every member of the community.
<br />On June 16, 2020, the Police Department shared an
<br />update with City Council. Visit
<br />LouisvilleCO.gov/RacialEquity to find out more.
<br />Winter 2020/21 • Page 3
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