Two finalists have been selected in Bayfield’s search for a new police chief: Tony Hobbs and Sean Dugan. Both Hobbs and Dugan have extensive backgrounds in law enforcement and security.
Whoever is chosen by Bayfield’s town board will take the reins from retiring Police Chief Michael Hoguet. The Durango Herald obtained both Dugan’s and Hobbs’ resumes and cover letters through an open records request.
Dugan held a meet-and-greet March 11 at Bayfield Town Hall, where he spoke with community members before meeting with the Town Board during an executive session.
“I'm a firm believer in getting out and get to know your community,” Dugan said. “I'm one of those people that really believes that people will forget what you said and they'll forget what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel.”
According to his application materials, Dugan has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix at Lone Tree, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.
He then served in the Littleton Police Department from 1984 to 2014, where he worked in the patrol, support and investigations divisions, according to his resume.
After that, he was chief of the Red Rocks Community College Police Department, where he was selected as president of the Colorado Association of Institutional Law Enforcement Directors from 2021 to 2024.
Hobbs also held a community meet-and-greet, this time on Tuesday evening.
In his cover letter, Hobbs said his recent service with the Southern Ute Police Department in Ignacio, combined with other law enforcement and security roles, qualifies him to be Bayfield’s police chief.
“I blend a steady command presence with a community first mindset,” Hobbs said. “The best way to build trust with the community is to be visible, is to be accessible. If they see you, they feel confident or comfortable in walking up to you and talking to you, telling you about their problems.”
According to Hobbs’ resume, he served as a patrol sergeant and field training officer with the Southern Ute Police Department in 2025. Hobbs was brought on to help grow the department, including training six new cadets in law enforcement.
Before that, he was chief deputy of the Waller County Sheriff’s Office in Hempstead, Texas, from 2019 to 2024, and a lieutenant for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Houston, Texas, from 2012 to 2019.
“(That experience) directly supports Bayfield’s requirement for a Chief who can coordinate with Town departments, provide staff support to boards and commissions and communicate effectively with the public,” Hobbs said in the cover letter.
Hobbs was also a senior operations manager for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he led mission-critical space shuttle operations.
“Basically we taught the astronauts how to fly the space shuttle,” Hobbs said.
Additionally, he was the superintendent of aircraft maintenance for Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, and he oversaw industrial operations for the Shell technology sector. Before that, he was a maintenance chief, combat aircrewman and rescue swimmer for the U.S. Navy.
Dustin Hayden, Bayfield town clerk, said both finalists will have two rounds of interviews with the Town Board, which will ultimately decide who becomes police chief.
Both Dugan and Hobbs have had one interview with the board during executive session following their meet-and-greets.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
