Chad Kasmer, with 21 Years at TPD, is the New Tucson Top Cop

Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council voted unanimously to approve the City Manager’s recommendation to appoint Chad Kasmar, age 44, as the next Chief of the Tucson Police Department.

His appointment follows the departure of Chief Chris Magnus, who was just confirmed as the next Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Magnus, age 61, has spent more than four decades working in public safety and has served as Tucson Police Chief since January 2016.

Kasmar takes over as top cop as TPD is facing serious problems:

Officer Robert Szelewski faces administrative and criminal investigations for assaulting a woman and her grown daughter, pinning them to the ground in a restaurant parking lot on Nov. 14.

Tucson police officer Ryan Remington, a four-year veteran of the TPD, was terminated on Nov. 30 after fatally shooting an elderly man in a mobility scooter nine times in the back.

The city enacted a vaccine mandate for all employees. As of Nov. 30, 684 employees were unvaccinated, many of them in Tucson Police. But almost all complied as of Dec. 1, with only one police employee facing termination.

“During his 21-year career at the Tucson Police Department, Chad Kasmar has earned the respect of our Tucson community as well as fellow officers. Chad has proven himself to be a collaborator who sees public safety through a holistic lens and shares my vision of Community Safety, Health, and Wellness,” Romero said.

• As Captain, Kasmar was Commander of the Operations Division East and served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief of Police.
• As Sergeant, Kasmar held public safety roles in the force’s Street Crime Interdiction Unit, Community Response Team, and as a Commander in Operations Divisions South, West, Midtown, and East.
• Most recently, Kasmar stepped up to serve as interim Director at 911 Communications. He has helped to transform this department and filled a critical need.

“Following his appointment, I will be asking Chief Kasmar to embark on a listening tour with community members throughout our city to inform his vision for the department,” said Mayor Romero. “Chad Kasmar is a proud product of Tucson with deep roots, he understands the needs of our city, and he is ready to take on the challenges ahead.”

Chad Kasmar is a graduate of the University of Arizona and a product of the Amphi Public School District; having attended Lulu Walker Elementary, Amphi Middle School, and Amphi High School. Chad is the recipient of numerous Tucson Police Department Chief of Police Citations of Excellence. He started his career with TPD in August of 2000 and was promoted to Deputy Chief in November of 2016.

“I congratulate Chief Magnus on his appointment and am grateful for his dedicated service and contributions to our community. I look forward to working together with the Commissioner on key issues affecting Southern Arizona,” said Romero.