Kennewick’s 1st new police chief in 20 years looks to build trust

Kennewick’s new police chief knows he has some big shoes to fill.

Incoming Police Chief Chris Guerrero spent nearly a year working with former Chief Ken Hohenberg. It gave him a chance to work with department heads, the city manager and the city council.

“I think big shoes to fill, but maybe it’s about bringing a different pair and still being open, still knowing the core things, leading with integrity and being engaged in our community and finding new opportunities,” he said.

Guerrero officially stepped into the role last week after being sworn into the top spot to oversee more than 100 officers and 15 civilian positions.

City Manager Marie Mosley told the Herald in a statement Guerrero’s appointment came after years of the police department and Hohenberg working to develop leaders in the department.

In 26 years, Guerrero has built strong relationships and fostered respect in the city, Mosley said.

“Chief Guerrero exemplifies how hiring the best and brightest and investing in our staff pays off in preparing a leader within our own organization and within our community,” she said. “Chief Guerrero is the police chief we need to lead the Kennewick Police Department into the future.”

He is taking over the police department as the grip of COVID appears to be loosening, and after they emerged from a year of legislation that has changed how law enforcement can interact with the public.

With restrictions around public meetings easing, he hopes to get out to meet more of the community.

“We have to continually tell our story. We have to engage,” he said. “We hope to have a venue where they can reach out and ask their questions and have great dialogue.”

Those community relationships are built on trust, Guerrero said. That includes officers talking with people when there isn’t a problem.

They also are embracing new technology. Kennewick police have starting using body cameras and the department has started a YouTube channel.

He also plans to go out and meet with the public. He is already active in the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club and the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties.

Finding new officers

Kennewick police are facing the same challenge that many police departments across the country are seeing. The department has 10 open positions, and is trying to fill them.

The department is seeing an increase in the number of people retiring from the police department. While the shortage hasn’t left the department struggling, it has meant they’ve needed to focus on special patrols.

Guerrero said this isn’t going to change Kennewick’s commitment to hiring quality officers. While the national average is to hire 7 to 10% of applicants, Kennewick hires about 5 to 7%

“I think a lot of the problems organizations see is because they’re so worried about filling a seat in a patrol car versus hiring the right person to fill that seat,” he said. “So finding those quality candidates, will be a continual struggle. I’m hoping people will continue to view this as a noble profession.”

He plans to continue the department’s cadet program, which brings in 18- to 20-year-old men and women to work at the department before they become eligible for the civil service test.

Public safety sales tax

Another item Guerrero sees on the horizon is the Benton County Public Safety Sales Tax.

The 0.3% tax was approved in March 2014 and expires in 2024. Since it was approved, it has helped fund additional officers, prosecutors, the Metro Drug Task Force and the drug and mental health courts.

Benton County cities receive 40 percent of the revenue from the tax and the remaining portion goes to the county. Last year, it brought in about $2.5 million to the Kennewick agency.

The city has used the money to pay the salaries of 15 officers, begin the police cadet program and make upgrades at the police station.

Guerrero said he supports renewing the sales tax, and plans to start talking with other jurisdictions around the county to develop a unified approach. .

“It’s a big impact for the law enforcement agencies if that were to go away,” he said.

Guerrero’s history

Guerrero grew up in Othello and started his career with the Kennewick Police Department in 1996. In that period, he served as a field training officer, defensive tactics instructor, criminal apprehension team member, a detective, a patrol sergeant and a SWAT team leader.

For most of the past six years, Guerrero was part of the command staff, and supervised the investigations and patrol divisions. He was also the Tri-City Regional SWAT team commander.

Guerrero said it’s a benefit to promote a chief from within the department’s ranks because they bring the history and culture with them.

“So having worked here, knowing a lot of where we’ve come from, is important — not only as a police department, but as a city,” he said. “You’ve got to know where you’ve come from before you know where you’re going.”

He married his high school sweetheart, and they have two children, now 16 and 19.