The City of Littleton is seeking a forward-thinking, principled, and community-focused leader to serve as its next Chief of Police. This is a unique opportunity for a collaborative service-oriented professional to lead an accomplished and highly respected department.
The City Of Littleton
The City of Littleton (pop. 45,000) is a vibrant community consistently recognized as one of America’s Best Small Cities, and a top destination for families. It is located just south of Denver and a short drive to the majestic Rocky Mountains and Colorado ski country. Littleton is home to a beautiful historic and lively downtown, diverse shopping and dining options, local theater and museum, and a variety of community activities including unique events, festivals, fairs, and farmers markets.
With 300+ days of sunshine each year, a healthy and active lifestyle is the norm. The area offers more than 1,400 acres of parks and open space and 200 miles of trails perfect for walking, running, and biking. Littleton Public Schools (LPS) is a highly regarded school district in Colorado, known for its commitment to academic excellence and fostering a supportive learning environment. LPS is comprised of 10 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, and two charter schools. There are also excellent private school options, and Arapahoe Community College is just south of Downtown Littleton. Littleton is a hub for the local light rail system, providing easy access to Downtown Denver and the surrounding area.
Littleton is truly a beautiful and inviting community, an exceptional place to live, work, and to raise a family. Discover some of the remarkable things Littleton has to offer at VisitLittleton.org.
The Police Department
The Littleton Police Department is a
CALEA-accredited law enforcement agency. It is proud of its highly-trained officers and professional staff who consistently achieve and maintain full accreditation. The department is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of the Littleton community through professional law enforcement services. Led by the Chief of Police, the department is comprised of three divisions: patrol, investigations, and support services. The chief has four direct reports. Full staffing includes 89 sworn and 36 non-sworn personnel.
The next chief will build upon this strong foundation while guiding the department through the evolving landscape of modern policing.
The Position
The Chief of Police serves as a collaborative member of the city’s leadership team and is a key representative of the department in interactions with the Littleton City Council, city leadership, community members, businesses, and partner agencies.
The chief is responsible for the department’s budget as well as the administration and management of daily operations across the department’s divisions, including patrol, investigations, and support services. The chief establishes and administers policies and procedures consistent with applicable laws, ordinances, and national accreditation standards, as well as plans and coordinates department activities to achieve established goals and objectives.
This at-will position reports to the city manager and has direct supervisory responsibility for two division chiefs, one public information officer, and one executive assistant.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
- Administers and manages daily operations and maintains overall command and direction of the programs and activities of the department and staff.
- Provides direction to staff; oversees the scheduling and assigned work of subordinates; supervises and reviews the work of division chiefs; manages the personnel and resources of the department; keeps the city manager advised of department activities.
- Plans, implements, and manages the department’s new and existing programs and procedures; ensures the delivery of high-quality customer service.
- Establishes short- and long-term goals and participates in strategic planning.
- Prepares, controls, and monitors the department budget, grants, IGAs and MOUs in the general fund, and applicable portions of the capital improvement program funds as assigned by the city manager or deputy city manager.
- Serves as a representative of the department; participates in meetings with members of city council, the city manager, city employees, homeowners, community or business groups, and other stakeholders, to plan and coordinate department activities.
- Delivers work products and services with responsiveness, courtesy, and tact. Is required to carry a cell phone and be available to respond to police emergencies.
- Drafts communications for, presents to, and responds to requests and questions from city council, other boards or commissions, and the public as necessary; participates in public meetings and hearings. Must be able to provide credible testimony.
- May be called to assist officers and serve as an emergency worker.
The Ideal Candidate
The City of Littleton is seeking a chief who embodies integrity, humility, and service-driven leadership. The ideal candidate will be a trusted professional and collaborative partner who supports personnel while maintaining accountability and a high professional standard of excellence. Attributes of the ideal candidate are as follows:
- Operates with a service-oriented and community-focused mindset; promotes community policing.
- Acts with professionalism, sound judgment, and common-sense decision-making.
- Is approachable and leads with transparency and integrity.
- Embraces, promotes, and protects the department’s strong culture.
- Fosters trust and collaboration between officers, city staff, and the community.
- Values their role as part of the city-wide staff leadership team and actively builds relationships and solutions with other departments.
- Is visible, present, and accessible throughout the organization and community.
- Encourages teamwork, recognition, and professional development.
- Is politically savvy and able to navigate complex community and governmental relations.
- A relationship builder who understands the value of strong positive professional relationships.
- A strategic thinker who can develop long-term plans for the future of the Littleton Police Department.
- Is technically savvy, and able to leverage new technologies into the operation of the department.
- A skilled communicator who understands the importance of transparency and keeping members of the department and the community informed on important issues.
- Will encourage members of the department to actively enforce ordinances and laws in a professional manner.
- Is empathetic when dealing with internal issues yet values accountability and sets high standards for members of the department.
- A humble person of good character with a sense of humor. Someone who does not take themselves too seriously.
- Will be a strong advocate for the department on budgetary issues.
- A strong charismatic leader who brings energy to the chief’s office every day and sets the standard for all department members to follow.
- A leader who understands the current atmosphere in law enforcement and stays abreast of the latest best practices.
- Builds networks with other law enforcement agencies and the non-profit sector to address regional law enforcement needs and broader societal challenges.
- A leader with a strong vision for the future of the Littleton Police Department.
Opportunities And Challenges
The Chief of Police will be challenged to lead and develop a young workforce and implement innovative recruitment and retention strategies to address the loss of veteran leadership and experience.
The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to increase and strengthen community partnerships, improve internal communications, and leverage emerging technologies to modernize and improve service delivery and bolster community confidence.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Police or Public Administration, Criminal Justice, or a closely related field (master’s degree preferred); and
- Ten (10) years of progressively responsible full-time law enforcement experience; and
- Five (5) years supervisory experience at division chief, commander, or captain (or equivalent level); and
- Completion of advanced professional training such as the FBI National Academy, PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), or equivalent training is desired; and
- Must obtain basic certification as a Peace Officer Level 1 in the State of Colorado upon hire or within six months of hire.
- Must have a valid driver’s license.
Compensation And Benefits
Hiring Range: $219,279 - $242,361
The City of Littleton offers excellent benefits, including generous paid time off, medical, dental, and vision insurance; and a dedicated, convenient clinic for employees and dependents enrolled in the medical plan. Members of the police department participate in a pension plan, death and disability benefit plan, and have access to a deferred compensation plan. For more details, refer to the 2026 Benefit Guide.
Apply Online
KRW-Associates.com/open-positions
Provide a cover letter, resume, and six (6) professional references.
Deadline: May 11, 2026, 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
The anticipated hiring process will include application review, screening interviews, panel interviews, background investigation, offer, pre-employment drug screen and physical. The expected duration of the hiring process is 8 to 12 weeks. Applicants who enter the process but are not selected for employment are eligible to apply for future openings.
Questions?
KRW Associates LLC is assisting the City of Littleton with this search.
Questions may be directed to KRW-Associates.com/contact, or by phone to
KRW Associates Managing Partner Lynn Johnson 303-435-4138 or
KRW Senior Associate Gina McGrail 303-249-9572
Equal Employment Opportunity
The City of Littleton is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and intends to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and job applicants regardless of age 40 and over, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, military status, or any other status protected by applicable law, and to hire and retain the best-qualified individuals without regard to any of these factors. This prohibition includes unlawful harassment based on a protected class.
The City of Littleton will consider reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process and employment. Applicants and employees can request an accommodation by contacting Human Resources at 303-795-3857 or emailing hr@littletonco.gov.
Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace
The City of Littleton is committed to the health and safety of all its employees. To ensure a safe and productive work environment the city prohibits the use, sale, dispensation, manufacture, distribution or possession of alcohol, drugs, controlled substances or drug paraphernalia on any city premises or worksites. No employee shall report to work or be at work with alcohol or with any detectable amount of prohibited drugs in the employee's system. A detectable amount refers to the standards generally used in workplace drug and alcohol testing. This prohibition specifically includes marijuana, and decriminalized psychedelics whether used for medical purposes or obtained legally under state law.
