Tucson Police Department
Tucson, Arizona
Chief of Police
With a population of 526,000 covering an area of 250 square miles, Tucson is the 33rd largest city in United States. Located 65 miles from the Mexican border in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson is surrounded by five mountain ranges: the Tucson, Santa Catalina, Rincon, Santa Rita, and Tortolita ranges. With a diverse immigrant population, the city prides itself on its unique heritage and its commitment to inclusiveness. Boasting an average of 350 sunny days a year and warm dry air, Tucson's climate is ideal for year-round outdoor recreation.
Tucson is home to the University of Arizona—a campus of more than 42,000 students—and annual events that draw participants and spectators from around the world. Tucson’s Old West heritage serves as a backdrop to its current status as a modern city that is a destination for nearly 7 million visitors a year; a place known for outstanding hiking and outdoor adventures, a vibrant arts scene, fine golf courses, restaurants, and other attractions.
The Tucson Police Department is authorized at 1,002 sworn and 317 non-sworn positions, with a budget of $168 million. Currently 940 sworn positions and 277 non-sworn positions are staffed. The department responds to approximately 300,000 calls for service annually.
The Chief of Police, who is responsible to the City Manager, must possess:
- Demonstrated competencies in effective leadership and building strong relationships of trust within the community and among the rank and file, and the ability to inspire confidence and serve as a role model and representative of the police department and the city.
- A track record of unimpeachable ethics and integrity.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a demonstrated capacity to be visible within the department and out in the community.
- A demonstrated aptitude for creative problem solving, particularly in light of funding constraints.
- Ability to maintain a proactive approach to policies and practices, consistent with the history and culture of Tucson.
- Experience and a commitment to identifying and implementing policies, strategies, systems and technologies to optimize the delivery of police services to a diverse community, in a fair and consistent manner.
- Exceptional organizational and management skills, including the ability to build a strong leadership team in light of upcoming command staff retirements.
- A track record and proven commitment to staff development and department-wide diversity and training.
- Experience in developing effective labor-management relationships.
- Extensive experience in the many aspects of contemporary policing practices in a diverse urban community.
The position requires a four-year college degree, progressively responsible command-level experience in policing in an urban community, and knowledge of best practices in policing. A graduate-level degree is strongly preferred, as is additional specialized leadership education, such as the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), FBI National Academy, or the Southern Police Institute. Once appointed, the Police Chief must obtain Arizona POST certification, and reside in Tucson’s city limits within 6 months of being hired. View the city’s Police Chief Job Description (http://www.tucsonaz.gov/
Salary Range: $138,000 to $181,000 per year, plus a very competitive fringe benefits package.
Qualified candidates should apply by August 31, 2015 with cover letter, résumé and a list of five references in confidence to: TucsonPC@policeforum.org
posted cap Aug 3 2015
