Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell announces his retirement
Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell on Monday announced that he will retire in January 2021.
Ramsdell, who is the longest-serving chief in department history with 18 years at the helm, said he has been discussing his retirement plans with City Manager Elizabeth Pauli for a while.
“I want to make sure the city has time to conduct a thorough search for my successor, and I want to make sure we provide for a smooth transition in leadership,” he said.
Ramsdell’s announcement comes at a time when local activists and an attorney representing Manuel Ellis’ family have called for him to step down amid accusations of bungling the investigation into Ellis’ death.
Ellis died March 3 while being restrained by four officers, who remain on administrative leave while the Washington State Patrol starts a new investigation into the incident.
Details about how the city’s search for a new police chief will be conducted weren’t immediately available.
“I want to assure our community that we intend to conduct a thorough search and will invite robust public input as part of that process,” Pauli said in a statement. “Above all, we will be looking for leadership competencies that will support our goal of transformational policing for our city.”
Mayor Victoria Woodards thanked Ramsdell for his service and said the department’s next leader will build on the work he did with Project PEACE (Partnering for Equity and Community Engagement), which launched in 2015 to address public safety concerns and build a better relationship between residents and law enforcement.
The chief’s retirement will not delay body cameras for officers, several policy changes involving banning chokeholds and requiring officers to intervene if a fellow officer uses excessive force or supporting a community trauma response team, according to the city.
Ramsdell joined the department in 1985 as a patrol officer and became chief in 2003.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 5:11 PM.
