Kitsap Review

Please join Sheriff John Gese in congratulating Chad Birkenfeld on his new assignment as the Chief of Detectives and Support Services.  

Chief Birkenfeld assumed this position on December 5th after having served as the Detectives Lieutenant since January of 2021. 

Chief Birkenfeld is a 1990 Graduate of Olympic High School, a 1992 graduate of Olympic College and 1994 graduate of Central Washington University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Justice. 

Birkenfeld began his law enforcement career at the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office (Ellensburg) in 1996 and transferred to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office in 1998. 

He was assigned to patrol from 1998 to 2002 and moved to the Detectives Division in 2002 remaining a Detective for 14 years before being promoted to Detective Sergeant in 2016 and Detective Lieutenant in 2021, assuming the management role in that unit as well as the Property Division.

During his career, Chief Birkenfeld has served as a Field Training Officer, SWAT operator, Police Marksman, firearms instructor, peer support, and specialized instructor for defensive tactics.  

Chief Birkenfeld was selected as “Deputy of the Year” in 2000 and 2011. He has received numerous agency and community awards, including the Sheriff’s Award for Professional Excellence. 

Chief Birkenfeld is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Kitsap and completed the FBI LEEDA trilogy in 2022. The trilogy is comprised of the Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute, and Executive Level Institute. 

Chief Birkenfeld is certified by the Criminal Justice Training Commission as an Independent Investigative Team lead investigator for use-of-force incidents and currently holds the role of the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team Co-Administrator. 

Congratulations Chief Birkenfeld on your new assignment!

Original source can be found here.