Centennial honors Chief Thompson

Retires after years

After 34 years of service, Glenn ompson, Chief of the Public Safety Bureau for Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce, is retiring.

Centennial City Council took a moment during its Jan. 10 council meeting to pay tribute to ompson, who had been the city’s liaison for the sheri ’s o ce since 2014.

“I, personally, have had the opportunity to work with Chief ompson for a long time,” Mayor Stephanie Piko said. “It has always been a privilege to work with you, sir, and I appreciate everything that you have done.”

Piko presented to ompson a framed picture that said “Gone Fishing” with signed thank-you notes from council members, as well as a wrapped shing pole. “ ank you all so much,” ompson said. “You all have been a pleasure to work with.” ompson’s law enforcement journey dates back to 1982, when he was 14 years old, according to the sheri ’s o ce January newsletter.

A freshman at Douglas County High School at the time, he joined the Explorer program at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, which is an educational program for young people who want to learn more about a career in law en- forcement. ompson realized he wanted to become a police o cer after going on ride-alongs with his sister, who was a police o cer with the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department, according to the newsletter.

He graduated from the police academy in 1990 and began rising through the ranks, eventually becoming a lieutenant in 2007. By 2012, he was appointed captain.

In 2014, David Walcher, the Arapahoe County Sheri at the time, ap- pointed ompson to Bureau Chief of the Public Safety Bureau, putting ompson in charge of more than 300 employees. ompson was also responsible for managing the contract for law enforcement services for the City of Centennial — a contract worth $33 million, according to the newsletter.

Piko described ompson as reliable, forthcoming and committed to the partnership between the city and the sheri ’s o ce.

During his career, ompson also helped develop the co-responder program, implement a new Special Response Team to assist in getting rearms and drugs o the streets, expand the School Resource O cer Unit, and launch the Uni ed Metropolitan Forensic Crime Laboratory, per the newsletter.

“Your dedication — not only to the City of Centennial, but to the entire community — is apparent in every action that you take,” Piko said. “You support us, you support the citizens. And so, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you.”