Chief with ‘great heart for Pasco’ remembered for steering police through troubled times

A former Pasco police chief remembered for helping to steer the city’s law enforcement through troubled times is being remembered.

The Pasco Police Department announced Tuesday on Facebook that former Chief Denis Austin had died, saying the was a visionary leader for the department during his 16 years there.

“During his tenure, Chief Austin implemented transformative changes that have significantly shaped the Pasco Police Department into the organization it is today,” said the post.

Austin joined the department in 1995 after leaving Carson City, Nev., and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety. At the time, he was excited about returning to law enforcement after leaving the Carson City Sheriff’s Office the year before, the Herald reported at the time.

He said he always wanted to head up a police department, and he faced a challenge.

When he was hired, 96 of every 1,000 people in Pasco was a victim of a crime, according to statistics at the time. By the time he left, that number had dropped to 29 people out of every 1,000.

At the same time, Pasco’s population more than doubled.

When Austin announced his retirement, then Mayor Matt Watkins credited Austin’s work for the city’s success in attracting people and businesses to move there.

Then City Manager Gary Crutchfield said Austin was instrumental in changing how the department handled policing by instituting the idea of community-oriented policing throughout the department. That attitude shift had officers working closer with citizens, according to a Herald story when he retired.

Many of what are now fixtures in Pasco and the Tri-Cities, started after Austin took over. That includes assigning area resource officers to various neighborhoods, putting officers into schools and beginning a citizens advisory committee.

The list of his achievements during his tenure also include starting the city’s Explorer program, the city’s graffiti abatement program and Gang Resistance Education and Training program in schools.

“These initiatives stand as a testament to his vision and enduring impact,” the department said Tuesday. “As we bid farewell to a true leader and a pillar of our community, we remember Chief Austin’s legacy and the positive transformation he brought to Pasco.”

Dozens of people added their comments to the department’s post, including officers, former public officials and the police chief who took over for Austin.

“He had a great heart for Pasco and cared deeply about the community,” former Chief Bob Metzger said. “He had a lot to do with the success the PD enjoys today.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2023 at 5:48 PM.