Jenkins says he’ll give retirement a second try

Washington State University Police Chief Gary Jenkins is trying retirement for a second time.

Jenkins announced Tuesday in a WSU Insider article that Assistant Police Chief Dawn Daniels will be promoted to chief when his leave takes effect in June next year.

Jenkins came out of retirement two years ago to take over the WSU Police Department when an abrupt shift in leadership followed a sexual misconduct scandal within the agency.

According to past Moscow-Pullman Daily News reporting, the former chief, assistant chief and captain retired before any disciplinary action could be handed down after the completion of an internal investigation.

Jenkins was previously the Pullman police chief for 12 years. He has spent four decades in law enforcement, including 33 years at the Claremont Police Department in Southern California.

Jenkins said in an interview he originally planned on being at WSU for a six-month interim period until the department found a new chief, but decided to stay longer.

“I didn’t want to leave until there was a good transition plan in place,” he said. “I think the timing is good, and I feel like I’m ready to retire.”

Jenkins said he came to the department during a tough moment, and was determined to leave the agency better off than he found it.

“When I first came in,” he said, “everyone in that organization wanted to see some positive change. … They’re a great staff, and that made the situation I came into much easier because everyone wanted to put in the work to make changes.”

Jenkins said he is most proud of contributing to a healthy work culture, and becoming a much more transparent organization.

“We’ve put in work to focus on officer wellness,” he said. “And letting employees know that they’re really our greatest asset. We care about them, and want them to be healthy so they can provide service in the best way they can to WSU.”

The biggest challenge Jenkins said the department has faced is crunches in the WSU budget.

“We prioritize and do the best we can,” he said. “Budget challenges have hit everywhere across the university, and everyone is feeling the pinch.”

Jenkins said he’s excited to see what Daniels has planned for the department, and said he has complete confidence in her abilities.

“I’ve seen her really grow and develop as a leader,” he said. “I know she’s going to continue to move the department forward. That’s why I feel comfortable about retiring, because I know she’s such a great asset.”

Daniels graduated from WSU and joined the agency in 1998. She has advanced through the ranks and was the department’s administrative sergeant before being promoted to assistant chief in 2022.

“She has earned the respect of not only people within the organization, but through the entire WSU community,” Jenkins said.

Before Daniels takes over, Jenkins said she will participate in a 10-week training program at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

He said the department will conduct a search for a new assistant chief in the coming months.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.