EVERETT — Respected and humble Police Chief Dan Templeman has decided to retire at the end of the month, closing out a career of service to the Everett community.
"It has been a privilege to serve the Everett community for the past 31 years and an honor to serve in the capacity of police chief for the past nine-plus years," Templeman, 53, said in a speech.
In June 2014, he took over for Chief Kathy Atwood, another lifelong Everett officer who retired as chief in her early 50s.
Templeman entered the role as a respected colleague who earned accolades including Officer of the Year in 1996 and Supervisor of the Year in 2001.
He'd kept his retirement pretty quiet until his announcement at last week's City Council meeting.
A family man with two children, he said "now is the right time for me to make this transition."
Templeman received a standing ovation at the end of his remarks.
His successor is to be determined.
Starting as a rookie Everett cop in 1992 on graveyard patrol in the Riverside Neighborhood, Templeman rose through the ranks to become operations deputy chief before accepting the position of chief offered by then-Mayor Ray Stephanson.
Templeman is a fan of using data and analytics to guide crime-fighting strategies, such as where to focus patrol efforts.
As chief, he rolled in body-worn cameras earlier than state law required them, and emphasized on upholding the department's values of honor, integrity and professionalism.
"Over the course of my career, I've seen so many changes in policing in so many different ways," he said in his speech. "I've also seen the challenges facing our community grow and change as well."
He said he couldn't have predicted the department would go through "a global pandemic, historic police reform and unimaginable tragedy within our own agency." He cheered that the department "has adapted and stood tall as we navigated these headwinds together."
Mayor Cassie Franklin hailed Templeman as "truly one of the most respected police chiefs in the state, if not the country," her voice trembling last week.
Franklin said in a statement issued later that "Chief Templeman has never wavered in his dedication to serving this community. He has continued to find ways to innovate, improve efficiencies and ensure we have the best police department in the state. And I truly believe we do."
The Police Department's social media manager wrote in appreciation that "his absence will be greatly noticed. Chief Templeman is a very special person and it has been a great privilege for all of us who got to know him and work for him. His dedication to our community and department inspires us to do our best every day."
