Photos: Kim Ferber officially sworn in as new Aspen Police Chief

Kim Ferber was officially sworn in on Wednesday, April 26, beginning her term as Aspen’s new police chief. Members of the Aspen Police Department staff, as well as members of her own family, gathered inside the Aspen Police Station just after noon, when Mayor Torre did the honors of swearing Ferber into her position.

As Aspen’s new police chief, she will be responsible for the overall management of the department in all areas of law enforcement and public safety, including a focus on helping people in crisis and the well-being of staff.

Her annual salary will be $178,880.

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The city’s former police chief, Richard Pryor, retired in December 2022 after 29 years with the department, the final 13 years as the chief.  The city, with the assistance of a professional recruiter, conducted a nationwide search for the vacancy. 

City officials previously described Ferber as an innovative, empathetic, and transparent leader with more than 27 years of rural, suburban, and state law-enforcement experience. In her most recent role as operations commander at the Sterling Police Department, she was responsible for leading a municipal law-enforcement agency serving 1,000 residents in a rural environment.

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“As the new police chief, I look forward to working collaboratively with our officers, team members, and community members to ensure the safety and security of everyone in Aspen,” she had said earlier in April during her affirmation. “I’m excited to learn from staff and the community about your experiences and perspectives and to work with all on a collective vision.”

In addition to her tenure with Sterling, she has also served as the state of Colorado law-enforcement coordinator, drug recognition expert state coordinator, and standardized field sobriety test state coordinator. 

Ferber started her career in law enforcement with the Littleton Police Department in Littleton in 1989 as a district patrol officer, motorcycle traffic officer, and detective. She stepped up to handle more responsibilities when taking on the roles of patrol and investigations sergeant, investigations commander, and division chief investigations/support services. She was also an adjunct professor with the Arapahoe Community College Police Academy in Littleton. She possesses a bachelor of arts in criminal justice administration from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri.

Forty-four individuals applied for the position and participated in multiple interview steps. Five individuals were invited to participate in the on-site interview process.

Ferber was selected based upon her experience, qualifications, leadership, knowledge of community policing, and feedback from participants in the interview process, particularly departmental staff and community panel feedback, city officials said.