Bob Brammer, the Durango Police commander who has led the department for the past four and a half months, has been chosen as Durango’s police chief.
The 20-year law enforcement veteran has been working with the Durango Police Department since 2005 as a patrol officer, detective, SWAT sniper and commander of Operations Support, the position from which he was promoted to interim chief, and now chief.
“He has the education, technical knowledge, management skills and leadership potential to successfully lead our police department,” City Manager Ron LeBlanc said in a news release announcing Brammer’s appointment.
The position was vacated in December after former chief Kamran Afzal left the department to return to his family on the East Coast.
Brammer graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2018 and plans to graduate Colorado State University in May with a master’s degree in organizational leadership. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
The biggest immediate challenge facing the department is retention, Brammer said. The department is short-staffed right now, and on average, officers are staying with the department for anywhere from three to five years, he said. And when those employees leave, they take the knowledge they’ve gained with them, he said.
“We need knowledge to stay here,” he said. “People learn the community, the people, the resources and the challenges.”
He’s excited for the future. It’s a “new era,” Brammer said.
Now that he’s solidified in his position leading the agency, he’s looking forward to improving practices and leveraging relationships to make the community as safe as it can be.
Brammer said he’s planning to work with the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to address root problems of crime in the region. And the work of identifying root causes to crime starts with talking to people. Brammer said he’s encouraging patrol offers to get out on foot in neighborhoods, parks and trails so officers are better attuned to the needs of the community.
City Council must approve Brammer’s appointment at its April 16 regular meeting. If approved, Brammer’s first day as chief will be April 17. He’ll make $125,000 a year.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
