LOVELAND, Colo. — The city named four finalists for Loveland Police chief on Thursday, four months after the previous chief, Bob Ticer, left to take a position in Arizona.
Two of the finalists currently work for Colorado police departments, while the other two are from out of state. All four finalists will be in Loveland for interviews on Oct. 13 and 14, with a public meet-and-greet set for Thursday, Oct. 13.
“A police chief is one of the most important roles within any community and it is essential that we find the right candidate to guide the Loveland Police Department into the future of policing,” said Loveland City Manager Steve Adams in a news release. “After a thorough search process, the city is eager to continue the final steps with input from our community through the meet-and-greet process. We invite community members throughout our city to actively engage in this important process.”
The finalists named Thursday are:
- Timothy Doran has been assistant police chief for Fort Collins Police Services since 2019. Before that, he was director of service operations for Advanced Energy Industries (2016-2019) and held multiple positions with the FBI (1995-2016). He has a master's degree in national security and resource strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
- David Farrow has been deputy chief for the field operations bureau for Goodyear Police Department in Arizona since 2020. Before that, he was with the Peoria Police Department in Arizona (2017-2020) and the Gurnee Police Department in Illinois (1997-2017). He has a master's degree in organizational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
- Philip Gonshak has been police chief for the City of Seal Beach, Calif., since 2019 and has been with that department since 2007. Before that, he was with the Tempe Police Department in Arizona. He has a master's degree in public administration from California State University.
- Anita Koester has been with the Lakewood Police Department since 1997 and is a division chief who oversees the Patrol Division. Her prior positions with Lakewood Police were patrol agent, detective, sergeant and commander. She has a master's degree in organizational leadership from the American Military University.
The public meet-and-greet is set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Embassy Suites, 4705 Clydesdale Pkwy. It will begin with an hour-long public presentation with an opportunity for each candidate to answer questions from the city.
There won't be an opportunity for the public to ask questions during the presentation, but attendees will have an hour to meet and engage with the finalists afterward.
Attendees will be able to provide feedback on a comment card that will be included in the review process, the city said.
RELATED: Loveland names interim police chief
Ticer, the former police chief, announced in February that he was leaving April 11 to become the chief for the Prescott Valley Police Department.
Under his watch, Loveland Police gained national attention in April 2021, when body camera footage was released showing the 2020 arrest of Karen Garner, a 73-year-old woman with dementia.
Deputy Police Chief Eric Stewart became interim chief after Ticer's departure.
Stewart's duties have included leading the department and overseeing day-to-day operations, as well as driving forward the LPD Accountability process that began in January following the LPD assessment by Jensen Hughes, a national law enforcement and public safety consulting firm.
In June, the city announced the independent review of a 2020 arrest of a 14-year-old girl and the Tasing of her father after a lawsuit was filed against three Loveland Police officers. In the news release, the city said the officer's actions were reviewed at the time and determined to be "appropriate."
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