Vision, Mission and Core Values
The Thornton Police Department is an innovative department whose defined core values guide us towards our vision of being recognized as the standard of excellence in law enforcement.
Vision Statement
A safe and prosperous city served by a department recognized as the standard of excellence in policing
Mission Statement
To serve and protect in partnership with the community, working to reduce crime and disorder while providing the highest quality police services
Core Values
Leadership, Safety, Service, Integrity, Teamwork, Accountability
Thornton Police Then & Now
Where We Were
In May of 1956, Thornton officially became a city, and the City Council named a seven-man police department that worked for six months without pay, using their own cars to respond to calls. The first paid policeman went on duty March 1, 1957, and Oscar Hill was appointed the city’s first full-time police chief. The first permanent police station was located on Dorothy Boulevard. In 1976 the first Medal Of Valor was given and the first female officer was hired. In 1983 the police department moved from Dorothy Boulevard to the Civic Center (a site formerly know as 9-mile hill), and employed 91 officers
Where We Are Now
In 2004, the police department moved to a new Justice Center building at 9551 Civic Center Dr., which today is called District 1. In 2016, City Council approved a budget amendment for the immediate addition of 25 additional sworn officer positions with an additional 25-30 sworn officer positions to be added the following year.
In 2018, the police department officially opened its second facility, District 2, at 13150 Quebec St. This is a joint facility with the fire department and serves the residents north of 112th Avenue.
There are currently 257 authorized sworn police officers, and 80 professional staff working for the department. Our police department strongly emphasizes community involvement and is committed to providing high quality police services. The police department serves a community of approximately 151,000 residents and is led by Police Chief Jim Baird. The City of Thornton is the fifth largest city in the State of Colorado and the police department is the fourth largest metro police department.
Where We Are Going
TPD opened a state-of-the-art training facility located at Riverdale Road and Colorado Boulevard on December 1, 2022. Our facility has advanced scenario-based simulator training, a slow-speed driving skills pad, defensive tactics training areas, large classrooms to host outside training, and an indoor shooting range.
The 17,269 square foot police training facility combines aspects of physical, mental and technological training for the modern police officer. Training areas are provided to improve and practice skills needed in police training through the lenses of theory, fitness and real-time critical thinking of how scenarios can be de-escalated through safe, thoughtful communication.
Organizational Charts
CALEA Accreditation
CALEA, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, is recognized nationwide as the Gold Standard in public safety. We first earned this accreditation in 2022, and we're proud to carry it forward. In March 2026, we earned our reaccreditation which required four annual file reviews, an on-site assessment, and a panel hearing confirming our adherence to 185 rigorous standards.
CALEA Public Comment Portal: https://cimrs2.calea.org/1042
The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as foster the pursuit of professional excellence.
IMPORTANT: CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.