SEQUIM — Newly hired Police Chief William “Bill” Dickinson donned crisp, new uniform blues and walked through parts of the Sequim Police Department for the first time Tuesday.
Dickinson, 60, who plans to cap his more than 35-year law enforcement career with service as Sequim’s top cop, said he has been widely recognized and warmly welcomed around the community he seeks to protect and serve.
He said he begins his work with no preconceived notions.
“I have not been given any special directions,” Dickinson said firmly.
Dickinson said he plans to retire from the Sequim position in six years.
He served for 30 years with the King County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked his way up from patrol deputy to major.
Then, he took on a six-year stint as police chief of Tigard, Ore., and most recently spent a year as a state Labor & Industries fraud investigator.
His starting annual salary in Sequim is $93,000. He oversees 18 officers and about 11 other paid support staffers, plus a number of volunteers.
His first day of work included a meeting with his boss, City Manager Steve Burkett, who hired Dickinson on Aug. 23 over four other finalists from a pool of 60 applicants, including Sequim Police Lt. Sheri Crain, who served for two months as acting police chief.
“She will be the recipient of 1,000 questions [from me],” the easygoing Dickinson said with a smile.
He was nosing through his new department Tuesday afternoon, exploring the back half he had never seen before that includes holding cells, interrogation rooms, officer quarters and other office and meeting space.
Between work and home, Dickinson said, “I’ll be established sometime within the next two weeks.”
Burkett will introduce Dickinson to the Sequim merchants this week, the police chief said.
The chief said he plans to ride along with officers to get to know them and will not hesitate to back them up on patrol, if necessary.
Dickinson and his wife of 39 years plan to move their 50-foot trawler home on the water to John Wayne Marina as soon as the vessel receives some maintenance work.
Born in Bremerton and given his first rowboat at 12, Dickinson has literally lived on the water for the past 10 years at Marina Duwamish Yacht Club.
A pilot, Dickinson has also moonlighted for the Seattle radio and television media, mainly as a traffic reporter but who also assisted in shooting live aerial video over news scenes.
He worked for KVI radio for five years, KOMO radio and TV for five years and KIRO TV for two years. All are in Seattle.
Dickinson replaces Bob Spinks, who was asked to leave the position by Burkett after Spinks had served five years as Sequim’s police chief.
Dickinson said he was stepping into a well-run department.
His first step, he said, is to reach out and get to know the Sequim community.
“That helps me meet their needs and expectations,” he said.
He said he will also meet his officers during their various shifts for briefings.
Dickinson said past aptitude tests have identified him as “an amiable driver.”
In hiring the new chief, Burkett called Dickinson “clearly the best qualified and the best fit for Sequim based upon our interviews with the finalists conducted by city department heads and members of the police department.”
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
