‘I know what it’s done to me’: New Boise police chief focused on mental health for officers

During his 20 years in law enforcement, Boise's new police chief has seen the toll policing takes on officers — sometimes well into their retirement.

Chris Dennison, whose tenure as chief began Monday, recounted the story of his friend in the Tucson Police Department who struggled with his mental health. Years after his colleague left the department, "he just could never get his feet under him," Dennison said, and he died by suicide.

Dennison, too, has experienced some of those struggles. Now, he said he aims to make officer wellness his top priority.

"I spent over 20 years in law enforcement, (and) I know what it's done to me," he said. "I know what it's done to people I've worked with and really care about."

As to how he plans to pursue that goal, Dennison is more circumspect. In Tucson, his department partnered with the Boulder Crest Foundation , a nonprofit that works with military veterans and first responders on "post-traumatic growth," according to its website. That program "has had significant success in Tucson, really changing the culture within the Tucson Police Department around the idea of wellness and taking care of employees," Dennison said.

But it's too soon to say whether he'll implement the same partnership with the Boise department. For now, he's evaluating the department's current wellness program.

"Just because it worked in Tucson doesn't mean it's going to work here," he said.

Dennison replaced interim Chief Ron Winegar, who came out of retirement in 2022 at the request of Mayor Lauren McLean after a turbulent two years at the department. Former Chief Ryan Lee, who was hired out of the Portland Police Department, resigned after nine officers brought forward allegations against him , including that he seriously injured an officer while demonstrating a hold on him . Winegar had served the department from 1993 to 2021.

Dennison spent his entire career at the Tucson Police Department and was promoted to assistant chief in 2022. In that role, he oversaw the department's Investigative Services Bureau, which covers everything from major crimes to the department's joint narcotics task force, the Statesman reported .

During the city's hiring process for Dennison's role, Boise residents shared that "reducing crime" and "enhancing public safety" were their highest priorities for the next chief.

The salary range for the job was $190,000 to $213,000, according to Public Sector Search & Consulting , the recruitment firm hired by the city.

Dennison cited other priorities for Boise police, such as assessing the department's technology and staffing levels as the department reaches its authorized capacity in January, but said he's mostly focused on learning the culture of the city and the ways Boise police operate before making any changes.

"It's a lot of meetings, it's a lot of reading, it's a lot of talking to people," he told the Statesman. "My weekends are definitely not going to be my own for quite a while."

Dennison echoed Winegar's concerns about rising assaults on officers, an anomaly amid otherwise dropping crime rates in the area. He said he plans to evaluate officers' deescalation training and the number of patrol officers to ensure they have enough backup.

In the short term, he said, his focus is on building trust with officers.

"Anytime an outside chief comes into a police department, it creates a lot of angst. ... They don't know me, I don't know them," he said. "I'm trying to be really open and forthright with my personnel, having them ask questions and letting them understand my philosophy."

"I want the officers not to be focused on, 'What's the new chief going to do?'" he added. "I want them focused on what they can do to serve the community."

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