Leawood police Capt. Brad Robbins will become the new chief of police beginning May 4, the Leawood City Council has decided.
Councilmembers unanimously approved Robbins’ appointment during a special meeting called Wednesday afternoon for that purpose.
Robbins, a 29-year veteran of the Leawood police department, has most recently served as support services division commander, supervising the investigation, traffic safety and community education units. He has also acted as the department’s public information officer.
According to his LinkedIn page, Robbins has been a captain since 2015. He was a sergeant from 2005-2015 and a police officer from 1996 to 2005, all in he Leawood.
Before that, he was an editor and reporter at Sun Publications, based in Overland Park.
Robbins is the city’s 11th police chief. He replaces Dale Finger, who will retire May 3.
The application process was multi-layered and included interviews with police department members.
The process to select a new chief also included input from community representatives JoLynn Hobbs, a homeowners association president, and Sonya Evans, a Blue Valley School Board member who has been active in Leawood.
The city received 37 applications in its national search, and narrowed that to three finalists on April 12, said City Administrator Diane Stoddard.
Robbins did not attend the special meeting where he was approved.
In a news release, he said, “I look forward to working with our city leaders and residents while continuing to promote the high level of service and professional behavior that the citizens of Leawood have come to expect.”
