28-03-2025
Pierce County police chief who ‘built lasting trust within the community' set to retire
Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey will retire June 23 after a career of more than 30 years in law enforcement, the city of Gig Harbor announced in a news release Thursday.
Overseeing a department of 24 commissioned officers and three administrative staff, Busey stepped into the role of chief in 2014. He started out as an entry-level police officer for the Gig Harbor Police Department in 1991 after working for the Coast Guard, according to the release.
'Chief Busey has been an exemplary leader, providing steadfast service and commitment to the safety of our residents,' Mayor Mary Barber said in the release. 'His leadership has strengthened our Police Department and built lasting trust within the community.'
According to the release, Busey's contributed his expertise in investigations, marine-services operations and communications to the department. The city also thanked him for his 'leadership, operational planning, management, technical writing, and crisis communications.'
Under Busey's leadership, the Gig Harbor Police Department became accredited by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs on March 18 after an 18-month process, according to a city department update. According to the WASPC website, accreditation is an optional distinction that shows an agency is following 'industry best practices and standards,' focusing on 18 different areas, including use of force, personnel management, records management, information technology, health and safety, fiscal management and more. The process culminates with an on-site inspection.
'Our department learned about ourselves and improved in certain areas,' Busey wrote in the city newsletter March 19. 'It was also good to know that we have largely been doing things the proper way even before the process started ... Most importantly, our residents and businesses can be assured that we are doing our job in an efficient, legal, and transparent manner.'
The department will receive an accreditation certificate in May, according to the city newsletter.
Busey also oversaw the launch of the department's Business Check program in 2021 to help curb retail theft in Gig Harbor, The News Tribune reported. Larceny-theft offenses were the city's top crime incident in 2023, at 26.8 incidents per 1,000 people, according to the most recent statewide crime report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. The program gave retail store employees a way to call police for a 'Business Check' if they noticed suspicious activity, without having to confirm whether someone was shoplifting and risk making a false accusation.
More recently, Busey explored the option of contracting with Flock Safety to install 10 automated license-plate readers in Gig Harbor after he learned a City Council member was interested in what technologies the department could leverage. He also led the department in securing a grant from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority to pay for the cameras' installation and one year of operation. The cameras don't issue speeding tickets but help law enforcement agencies more easily track stolen vehicles, locate missing people and solve other crimes. Busey made a formal presentation to the council Monday, but the council voted against a contract with Flock following several residents' public comments opposing it, The News Tribune reported.
The city is planning a retirement reception for Busey near the end of June and will release the date and other details soon, the release said.
