Three men have been selected as candidates for the open police chief position with the Durango Police Department, one of whom is already serving in that position.
Of the about 20 applicants, City Manager Ron LeBlanc chose interim Durango Police Chief Robert Brammer; Colorado State Patrol Cmdr. Adrian Driscoll of Durango; and Reginald Winston, a deputy police chief and patrol division commander in Casa Grande, Arizona, as finalists for the job. Each candidate has more than two decades of police experience.
“I’m looking for the fit with the community, that’s really important to me,” said LeBlanc, who will ultimately decide which candidate to hire. “I’m also looking at leadership qualities and how I think those leadership qualities can benefit our department.”
Community members will have an opportunity to meet the candidates from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Community Recreation Center. LeBlanc said he will consider resident comments in his hiring process.
The candidates will also be subject to an assessment by 22 people selected by the city manager, including community leaders, department heads and a police chief from another community.
LeBlanc said it will take him a couple of weeks to review feedback and make a decision.
“I’m going to have to weigh all the input and consider it,” he said. “I don’t want to rush through it or make a rash decision, so I’m going to carefully weigh through that.”
The next police chief replaces Kamran Afzal, who started with DPD in April 2017 and left in December 2018.
Brammer began his career with DPD in 2005 after serving four years with the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran has served with DPD as a patrol officer, a field trainer, a detective, a SWAT sniper and in the administrative services and operations support divisions.
Since Brammer started his law enforcement career, he has graduated from the FBI National Academy and plans to graduate from Colorado State University with a graduate degree in organizational leadership.
Driscoll has been working with the State Patrol since 1995. During that time, he’s worked in both rural and metropolitan troops in Castle Rock, Adams County, Weld County and most recently in Durango.
He graduated from Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and is active in the community, working with the Durango High Noon Rotary Club and officiating high school football.
Winston enlisted with the Casa Grande Police Department in 1996 after a decadelong career with the U.S. Marine Corps. He continued his work with the military as he served as a police officer, eventually retiring in 2016 as a major with the U.S. Army.
From combat tours to cadet training, Winston has more than 20 years of supervisor experience. He has a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration, a master’s degree in leadership with an emphasis in disaster preparedness and executive fire leadership. He’s also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the International Association of Police Chiefs’ Leadership in Police Organizations and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.
He has also received numerous awards, including Officer of the Year with Casa Grande Police Department and Supervisor of the Year from the Arizona Black Law Enforcement Association.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
