About Stephen
Stephen Redfearn was appointed Chief of Police for the Boulder Police Department in September 2024, after serving as Interim Chief since January of that year. He originally joined the department in 2021 as Deputy Chief of Operations. With more than 23 years of law enforcement experience in Boulder, Aurora, and Jefferson County, Chief Redfearn brings a deep commitment to community trust, organizational leadership, and operational excellence.
Since becoming Chief, he has launched several key initiatives to strengthen public safety and community partnerships. He developed multiple new police community liaison roles, instituted a faith leaders working group, re-established the Boulder Police Community Academy, and implemented programs such as the Blue Envelope initiative, the Autism decal program, and the Spanish-language traffic stop form to enhance inclusivity and accessibility. Chief Redfearn also helped establish the Boulder Police Foundation, rebuilt the department’s K9 Unit, and instituted over a dozen community dashboards to promote transparency, including dashboards on police stop data and uses of force. In 2025, he led the department’s response to the June 1st terrorist attack in Boulder, demonstrating steady leadership during crisis. He was also part of the team that helped secure Boulder as the host city for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival, a major community milestone.
Chief Redfearn began his career in policing as a Police Cadet with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, where he later worked as a 911 dispatcher during the Columbine High School mass shooting. He went on to serve two decades with the Aurora Police Department, rising through the ranks from Patrol Officer to Division Chief. As Division Chief of Operations, he oversaw more than 400 employees across patrol operations, SWAT, district detectives, and the field training program. Over his career, he has supervised units including Vice and Narcotics, Major Investigations, Homicide, and the East Metro Auto Theft Team, as well as commanding Aurora’s busiest and most diverse police district. In 2012, then-Sergeant Redfearn took a leadership role during the Century 16 Theatre mass shooting response, coordinating triage, victim transport, and the apprehension of the shooter.
A subject matter expert in line-of-duty death response and preparedness, mass violence prevention and response, and officer wellness, Chief Redfearn regularly trains and consults with law enforcement agencies nationwide. He has presented at the FBI National Academy, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the National Homicide Investigators Association, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, among many others.
Chief Redfearn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology from Metropolitan State University and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University. He has also completed executive training programs including the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), Leadership in Police Organizations (LPO), the University of Denver Daniels College of Business Public Safety Leadership Development Program, and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. In 2025, he was accepted into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School.
In recognition of his leadership, Chief Redfearn was awarded the City of Boulder Values Award for Integrity in 2024.
Beyond his professional role, Chief Redfearn serves as President of the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring fallen officers and supporting their survivors. He also serves as a subject matter expert for the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police legislative committee and consults with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Crime Victims on mass violence prevention.
Throughout his career, Chief Redfearn has been guided by the belief that effective policing requires integrity, collaboration, and compassion, and he remains dedicated to ensuring a safe and thriving community in Boulder.