After 27 years with the Kirkland Police Department and eight years as police chief, Eric Olsen has announced he is retiring at the end of September.

For Olsen, retirement comes after what he feels is the successful accomplishment of goals for the department.

“We’ve got a lot of community support,” he said. “The community supports us and it felt like it was the right time to pursue some other interests I’ve had for many years.”

In addition to taking a position at Redmond-based Zetron, a communications solutions company for public safety, Olsen said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Olsen first started with the KPD in 1988 as a patrol officer. At the time, Kirkland’s population was less than 36,000. Olsen went on to be promoted to patrol corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and finally chief.

He said the numerous roles gave him a wide perspective into how to manage the department from the top down.

“Once I assumed the position of chief, I was able to understand the uniqueness of each assignment I had been in,” he said. “For example, I was a captain in charge of a major division. I knew what it was like to oversee patrol or the service side of it, because I had been in both of those positions. I could provide them insight and guidance.”

His multiple roles also impacted his view of the work schedule for officers, which currently operates on a four day (two days, two nights) 12-hour shift schedule. Olsen said they are in the process of changing the schedule as part of their contract negotiations. If the change is made, officers would work a four day work week with 10-hour shifts.

“One of my goals was to get to a new schedule that wasn’t as difficult to work, something that would provide a better quality of life,” he said. “I had worked it and I knew how difficult it was.”

While acting as chief, Olsen said the two greatest challenges for the department was the 2011 annexation and budget cuts following the Great Recession in 2008. In response, the city cut spending for services, including the police budget. Olsen stated that while it was one of the biggest challenges he faced as chief, he was also pleased that they were able to find a way to avoid laying off any staff or officers, though they left several positions unfilled.

“It wasn’t easy, but we were able to do that,” he said. “I was able to forecast some of the attrition that was going to occur.”

Following the Recession, the city then grew to 81,000 people following the annexation of the Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhoods, adding 31,000 new residents. The annexation resulted in the KPD doubling in size, hiring 40 new officers to cover the new territory and, until the Kirkland Justice Center opened last year, forced them to contend with the limited space available at City Hall.

Since he first started as a patrol officer, Olsen said the responsibilities and expectations of the department have changed dramatically. Detectives have also gone from a more general approach to investigations in favor of specializing in certain crimes.

“Very rarely is there a generalist who does anything anymore,” he said.

“I think policing has become more complex in regard to what our officers are expected to do,” he said. “The use of technology, complex laws, community expectations; that’s a much more difficult job.”

Certain crimes, such as drunk driving, auto thefts, domestic violence and car prowls have dropped off since his first years in Kirkland, he said. Now, they’re having to confront the rise of technology-based crimes like identity theft and Internet sex crimes, and drugs still continue to be a problem.

Olsen was also a catalyst in the creation of the web-based tool “Crime Mapping,” which allows residents to track criminal activity within the city. The tool was created in response to a desire by the Public Safety Committee to offer crime data for residents.

Looking into the future, Olsen said they are working on their strategic plan process for the next five years and expressed hope that they would be able to reinstate their Proact Team, which was dissolved in order to provide more patrol officers during annexation.

“We’re going to have to review whether we’re meeting the community’s needs with our service. Is it adequate? Just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean the chief’s work is done, but we’ve got great command staffs and great police officers.”

With Olsen’s retirement coming in the fall, the city has announced its plans to begin the search for a new police chief.

“I think it has to be somebody who has to have a strong sense of community,” Olsen said. “They have to be able to work well as a team with the council, the city manager, the other department heads. The new chief needs to be a cop, a police officer, somebody who understands the job.”

Olsen currently serves as president of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), serving on the Executive Board since 2010. A graduate of the FBI Academy, he is also a member of several law enforcement associations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the King County Police Chief’s Association.

“Chief Olsen has created a culture of integrity within the Kirkland Police Department that has rightfully earned him and his organization the respect of the City Council, City organization, community and other law enforcement agencies,” Mayor Amy Walen said in a press release. “He has returned that respect with confidence, leadership, and a calmness that makes you always feel safe.”