Henderson announces first female police chief

By Jeremy Twitchell

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 | 12:23 p.m.

Henderson Deputy Police Chief Jutta Chambers will permanently fill the role of police chief after Chief Richard Perkins retires Sept. 5, city officials announced today.

She will be the first female chief, and 11th overall, in the department’s 55-year history.

The city had previously announced that Chambers would be the acting chief in the wake of Perkins’ departure. She will assume the head position Sept. 8 and is scheduled to be ratified by the City Council Sept. 16.

Chambers said she was “a little overwhelmed” by the announcement.

“I’m just kind of taking it all in,” she said. “It’s nothing that I really expected to ever happen, so it’s intriguing. I’ve been with the department for 25 years, and I never dreamed back in those days that this would happen, so it’s all so surreal right now.”

For Chambers, the appointment is the most prominent of a string of firsts. She was the city’s first female police officer in 1983 and later became the first female to hold the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain and deputy chief.

Asked about that distinction, Chambers shrugged it off.

“I think the city manager said it best when she said that I was chosen not because of my gender, but because of my experience,” she said. “This is about being the chief of police.”

Chambers has worked as a K-9 officer and an undercover narcotics agent for Henderson, and has worked or held supervising positions in every aspect of the department’s operations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration in law enforcement from Nevada State College and is pursuing a master’s degree in justice management from the University of Nevada, Reno.

City officials have recognized the momentous nature of appointing the department’s first female chief, but are keeping their focus on Chambers’ experience and service record.

“While it is noteworthy that Chief Chambers is the first woman to lead the Henderson Police Department, she was chosen because she possesses the ability to lead the growing police department along with her already proven dedication to the citizens of this community,” City Manager Mary-Kay Peck said in a statement. “I have seen first hand her leadership abilities and am confident the Henderson Police Department is in very good hands.”

Peck, who last year became Henderson’s first female city manager, was responsible for appointing the police chief, but her action requires ratification from the City Council, which has expressed strong support for Chambers’ appointment.

Chambers will oversee a department that has grown from 30 officers since she joined in 1983 to 391 police officers, almost 50 corrections officers and more than 150 civilian employees.

“The people — the employees that work here — are the strength,” Chambers said. “They are very professional, they are dedicated. They love what they do and they work hard to keep this community safe.”

Still, Chambers can see room for improvement.

“Gold medal athletes in the Olympics will still have ways that they can tweak their performance and do better,” she said. “Likewise, we will be looking to see what we can do to improve our processes and use technology to make our jobs as efficient as possible. … But overall, we’re going to continue doing the things we’re doing to keep this community safe.”

Jeremy Twitchell is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].