BOISE, Idaho — Christopher Dennison begins work as the new incoming Boise Police Chief. He's originally from Tucson, Arizona.
- Chief Dennison succeeds Chief Ron Winegar, the outgoing chief, who was honored in a retirement ceremony on Thursday after about 30 years of service.
- Winegar’s departure marks a transition for the department as Dennison steps into the role.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
"I'm excited to serve," said incoming Boise Police Chief Christopher Dennison.
Christopher Dennison served in law enforcement for over 20 years in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona.
“I always wanted to be a cop. I wanted to do a job that I felt was rewarding, and it was noble,” said Chief Dennison.
Now, moving his family to Boise, Dennison is stepping into a new challenge—leading the Boise Police Department as their new chief.
“I really am excited to learn everything about how the Boise Police Department operates and why they operate that way. You know, taking the experience and tools I have in Tucson, and seeing what I can bring here that will integrate really well with the department,” added Chief Dennison.
After the department's involvement in multiple officer-involved shootings in recent years, questions have been raised about how emergency calls involving mental health crises should be handled.
“With any police department, you’re constantly evaluating training, evaluating tactics, evaluating policy, and always trying to learn from other agencies,” said Chief Dennison.
Lessons learned on how to manage the mental health of not just the community, but also the officers who serve them.
“One of the big things is understanding internally the impacts of the profession itself on our officers and ensuring we’re taking care of the men and women who are out there doing the job,” Chief Dennison added.
Impacts that outgoing Chief Ron Winegar experienced firsthand in the line of duty.
Twenty-seven years ago, to the date of his retirement, Winegar was shot on the job alongside Boise Police Officer Mark Stall, who died from his injuries.
“This date has meaning for me, for our department, and for our community, and so it was very intentional for me to pick this date as a retirement because it was the last day that Mark went to work, and it will be the last day that I went to work,” said outgoing Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar.
Boise police and law enforcement agencies from across the Treasure Valley gathered to honor Chief Winegar and thank him for 30-plus years of service.
As the baton is passed to Chief Dennison, he added, “I'm really excited to be a part of it and take what Chief Winegar’s already done such a phenomenal job with and continue that forward."
