Woodland Park finds new police chief following tumultuous exit of former chief

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) -- Pending city council approval, Woodland Park has found its new chief of police after a five-month search.

Chris Deisler, the current police chief in Winter Springs, Florida, is set to take over as the top cop in Woodland Park. According to Woodland Park’s City Manager, Deisler has 30 years of experience in law enforcement.

“Deisler was the final selection after a national search for a permanent chief,” said Michael Lawson, Woodland Park’s City Manager in a press release. “Professional recruiter Frank Rojas of Koff & Associates recruited dozens of high-quality candidates, and Deisler was one of three finalists selected. There were several rounds of interviews, the last of which involved a panel of community members, a panel of department directors, a one-on-one with the City Manager, and a meet-and-greet with some of the City’s police officers.” 

In July, the state of the Woodland Park Police Department was described as “dire” when former Woodland Park Police Chief Miles DeYoung suddenly announced his retirement. 

13 Investigates learned of DeYoung's retirement after an investigation began earlier in the year. DeYoung was put on paid administrative leave on May 13.

The final executive report from the investigation "found numerous examples where city workplace conduct policies were violated by DeYoung." The report showed situations where WPPD employees were "subject to gender bias, harassment, and intimidation, particularly toward females."

"The report concluded the state of the police department is dire and can only be improved with DeYoung's termination," Lawson said in an email to 13 Investigates.

After DeYoung's exit from the WPPD, Steve Hasler served as the department's Interim Police Chief.

In a statement to 13 Investigates, Deisler praises Hasler's ability to lead the department following DeYoung's exit.

"During [Interim Chief Hasler's] time with the department, he and the members of the police department have come together to help align the mission of the department with the needs of the community while instilling new trust in the department’s leadership. I intend to work with those successes and will continue working alongside the officers into the future," Deisler said.

In Monday's press release, Lawson says Deisler will be an excellent leader for the WPPD.  

“We are very excited to have Chief Chris Deisler join our Woodland Park team,” Lawson said. “Chris brings not only great energy and experience to the role but a deep desire to serve our community and our officers. When you talk with Chris, his love for his employees and for the work itself becomes obvious very quickly. We have a tremendous police force already. We believe Chris will only help it grow and thrive.”

Deisler’s appointment as chief of police is contingent on confirmation from the Woodland Park City Council members. City Council is set to vote on Deisler’s appointment at the February 17, 2022 meeting. Pending his confirmation, Deisler is scheduled to begin as chief on March 28, 2022.

13 Investigates emailed Deisler a list of questions pertaining to his experiences in Florida, moving to Colorado and dealing working through arduous times in a police department.

Here was that exchange:

13 Investigates: Why choose Woodland Park, Colorado?

Deisler: A multitude of reasons, actually. My family and I had always dreamt about life out west after we took several vacations that way years ago. We were drawn to the area and the overall impression it made on us during those times. Believe it or not, not every Floridian wants to retire here! As I neared my retirement after nearly 30 years of service, we began looking for opportunities in Colorado and I ended up finding the recruiting flyer for the city of Woodland Park‘s position. After looking at it, it didn’t take long for me to see that it would be an absolutely wonderful place not only to continue my career doing something I am very passionate about but also to bring my family and call home. As I continued to research the city and the police department, I was immediately drawn to the needs of the community and more urgently to the needs of the police department’s personnel. I felt as though my leadership style, my love for my staff, and the teamwork that I have been able to forge during my career here would be a perfect fit for what was seemingly needed there. I have been afforded an amazing opportunity and privilege to lead the Woodland Park Police Department. It is an entrustment that I take very seriously but still have fun doing. As a police chief, if you cannot build an environment of having fun working with your staff then it is time to reconsider your career.

13 Investigates: Talk to me about this hiring process. What has this process been like since it first began?

Deisler: The process has been absolutely fantastic. From the very beginning, it was apparent to me that the city leadership was dedicated to finding the right person to lead the police department. Given some of the recent turmoil they have faced, it was not surprising. One of the things that was very apparent to me is they were not just going to make snap decisions. I appreciate the level of involvement the recruiting firm, the city manager and staff, and everyone with whom I interacted with during the process put into making sure they had the right fit. Watching all of the processes unfold reassured me that I had made the right decision to come to Woodland Park because I knew I would have the right support to be successful had I been afforded the chance. Everyone within the city leadership and community has been nothing less than amazing. This community cares about its police officers and now more than ever we all need that level of support. I look forward to working alongside anyone who wants to forge our new direction together as a unified team.

13 Investigates: What are the differences and similarities between Winter Springs, Florida and Woodland Park, Colorado?

Deisler: There are some similarities but there are also some big differences. They are both smaller areas of larger metropolitan cities that both have a hometown feel. They both have an extreme affection for their law enforcement officers and the folks who do the hard work in the community every single day. There is no “one size fits all” approach to policing so while there are certain things that are important to residents and business owners in Winter Springs there are other issues that are equally and uniquely important to the residents and business owners of Woodland Park. Working together with all of them to forge the direction of the agency will be vital to our combined success.

13 Investigates: How has your experience as Chief of police in Winter Springs prepared you for this role as Chief in Woodland Park?

Deisler: Until you have reached the top of the proverbial mountain, you cannot truly appreciate the perspective and level of attention it takes to be aware of the needs of your personnel, staff, and community. The men and women of the police department, regardless of their assignment, are the ones doing all of the heavy lifting. They need to be supported, trained, involved, given the chance to contribute, listened to, and made to understand that without them the police department simply cannot exist. Throughout my entire career as a supervisor and leader, I have made it a point to emphasize all of those characteristics to those with whom I’ve been entrusted to lead. The Woodland Park Police Department will be no different and I’m looking forward to forging new ground alongside them all. All of those years in leadership roles have helped to forge my style. My years as a police chief have only helped to enhance it.

13 Investigates: It's no secret that the past year for the WPPD has been tumultuous. According to investigative reports surrounding the former WPPD Chief of Police, there were situations where WPPD employees were "subject to gender bias, harassment, and intimidation, particularly toward females." As Chief how do you plan to address these culture issues within the department to make sure they never occur again and move forward?

Deisler: Right now, my goal is to get involved with them and to let them get a feel for me. Coming from the outside, I know there is always some degree of hesitation because there is a fear of what might be. I understand that fear and I am empathetic to it because I have been through it in my career as a young officer. With time, I am positive that once we get to know one another and find common goals for the department those concerns will subside. Many of these issues that you mentioned are actually some of the very reasons I applied for this position. There are a lot of other people who would have looked at this situation and simply said there was no way they were going to get entangled with all of that history. My thought process was immediately the opposite. I did so because I know the way I treat our team here is exactly what they need. While it will take a little time for them to get to know who I am as a person and my leadership style, forming common bonds of mutual respect, a renewed focus and someone actually caring for them both personally and professionally I’m certain will happen naturally.