This new local police chief was a dispatcher and a firefighter. He has a familiar face
The city of Orting has a new police chief, and he has a name that may already be familiar to some.
The City Council unanimously confirmed Devon Gabreluk, who was previously the interim police chief, during a council meeting Oct. 12. Gabreluk’s swearing-in ceremony will be Wednesday, Nov. 9 during the council meeting.
“It makes me incredibly proud that we are able to find a candidate from within our department … that can take us to the next level,” Mayor Joshua Penner said during the Oct. 12 meeting.
The city held a public meet and greet Oct. 5 for Gabreluk and other candidates vying for the police chief seat. The other two candidates were Bruce Caldwell and Jay King. Caldwell and King are based in Texas and Alaska, respectively.
Gabreluk, 43, has been the interim police chief since May, around the same time former chief Chris Gard left the department due to medical issues. The chief’s responsibility is to manage the department, which oversees a community of about 9,000 people.
Before Gabreluk became the interim police chief, he was a police lieutenant from April 2019 to May 2022. Criminal investigations and law enforcement training were just a few of the tasks he was expected to do. He was a police officer in the city from April 2007-19.
Prior to Orting, Gabreluk served as a Federal Way Police officer from June 2000 to April 2007.
He has also worked as a technical contractor and police dispatcher for the Valley Communications Center in Kent from 1998 to 2006. From April 1996 to August 1999, he was a firefighter for Mountain View Fire and Rescue in Auburn.
Gabreluk said during the Oct. 5 meet and greet event he has been in public service for a while – continuing that path by becoming police chief seemed natural to him. Other officers enjoy working with him and thought he’d be a good fit for the job, he said.
One of Gabreluk’s goals as police chief is to help his department adapt to new technology, tools and training. Another goal is to strengthen the department’s connection with the community.
“I’m real passionate about what I do, and I think it’d be great for the city,” Gabreluk said during the meet and greet.
Caldwell works at the San Jacinto College Police Department in Texas, serving as the associate vice chancellor. He has also served in multiple roles at the Sugar Land Police Department in Texas.
King is the police chief for the Unalaska Department of Public Safety in Alaska. Before this role, he worked at the Montgomery Police Department in Alabama. He was also a military police officer.
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 11:52 AM.
