STEVEN STRACHAN

Chief Steve Strachan has over 32 years of law enforcement experience, including 14 years as a Chief and Sheriff. Prior to becoming Bremerton's Chief, Steve served the King County Sheriff's Office from 2011-2012 as the Chief Deputy and as the Sheriff, after being appointed by the King County Council following the retirement of Sheriff Sue Rahr. From 2006-2010, Steve was Chief of Police in Kent, Washington, and from 2004-2006 Steve was Chief of Police in Lakeville, Minnesota, where he started his law enforcement career 19 years earlier. During his law enforcement career, Steve has served as a Patrol Officer, DARE Officer, School Resource Officer, Detective, Administrative Sergeant, Patrol Sergeant, SWAT Team Member, and SWAT Team Commander. In 1996, Steve was elected to the first of two terms as a City Council Member in Farmington, Minnesota. In 2002, Steve was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where he served on the Judiciary, Government Operations, and State Government Finance Committees. While in the House, Steve was the Chief Author of the high-profile bill lowering the legal limit for drunk driving to .08, which was passed into law in 2004. Steve received the Legislator of the Year Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Steve has also served on the Public Safety Facilities Commission for Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, and was later appointed by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to the State Sex Offender Policy Commission, the DWI Task Force, and the Governor's Stadium Commission. Steve holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Minnesota State University. He is a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) Class #51, and was a member of Session #44 of the Senior Management Institute for Police through the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in Boston, Massachusetts. From 2007-2010, Steve served as an appointee of Washington Governor Christine Gregoire to the Washington State Auto Theft Prevention Authority. Steve serves on the Executive Board of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, and is Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee. In 2014, he was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to the SR 530 Landslide Commission. He is a Board Member of Kitsap Mental Health, a member of the International Association of Police Chiefs, a past Chair of the King County Police Chiefs Association, a past President of the Kent Rotary Club and an active member and current President of the Bremerton Rotary Club. Chief Strachan was appointed in 2015 to the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board by Governor Inslee. In 2018, Steve became the Executive Director for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.