When asked what the inner dynamics of the Glenwood Springs Police Department are like, many officers may use the word “family.” After all, some members of the tight knit team have weathered the best — and the worst — together for decades. 

On Monday, one of the longest-serving officers in the department, Lt. Bill Kimminau, will say goodbye to his work family, retiring after 40 years of loyal service to the city.

Kimminau’s identity has long been intertwined with his profession. He began his career in public service as a volunteer at the Glenwood Springs Fire Department in 1982 before spending four years as a fire inspector and investigator from 1985-89. 

He even met his wife, Sheila, on “the back of a fire truck,” Kimminau said. 

He fell in love with puzzling out the origin and cause of a fire and conducting criminal investigations. In 1989, he made investigating his life’s work and transitioned to the Glenwood Springs Police Department as a patrol officer. 

He quickly rose through the ranks to investigator, then sergeant, and by 2003, earned his position as lieutenant. Other than a stint as acting police chief in 2019 — before Joseph Deras, now chief of public safety, was hired — Kimminau has steadily held his position for over two decades. 

“He truly dedicated himself to the people of Glenwood, whether it was in fire or police, or just being a citizen,” Deputy Police Chief John Hassell said. “He was born and raised (here) I think in the third or fourth generation. Glenwood has always been his home and anyone can count on him for really anything that they might need.”

Hassell, who joined the team in 1996, remembers his first impression of Kimminau. “A little tough on the exterior. He was a detective. He had this killer mustache, a great, big bushy mustache and a flat top,” he said. “He was a lifter, so he was pretty built, kind of no nonsense. It took a little while to get to know him a little bit to realize he’s a pretty funny guy with a heart of gold.”

Although Kimminau has been involved in countless cases, one of his proudest moments as a Glenwood Springs police officer was during the Coal Seam fire in 2002. 

“We all came together and took care of what we needed to take care of,” Kimminau said. “I’ve got so many good memories of how whenever something really bad happened, we all came together and dealt with it and helped each other.”

Kimminau’s son, Quinn, recalls his childhood excitement and pride when he saw his dad in uniform at public events like Strawberry Days.

“A lot of people, when they see him, are scared of him, but when you really get to know him, he’s actually a really soft person and would do anything for anybody,” Quinn said. “That’s the best way to describe him.”

But there was also fear. Even as a child, Quinn knew his dad’s job was dangerous. “He would get calls that he needed to respond to for work for something, and he wouldn’t tell us what, but he would just leave for hours on end,” he said. “I wasn’t immune to the fact that I knew police officers died every day.”

One of his most prominent memories of his dad’s career was also in 2002 during the Coal Seam fire. Quinn was in Denver at the time, and “I remember him calling us and telling us, Glenwood may not be here when you get back,” Quinn said. “That’s probably the biggest memory that stuck with me.”

“I tell people, ‘Oh, my dad was part of the Coal Seam fire, he did this, he was a big part of it. He was there when it happened,'” Quinn later added. “While everybody’s running away and terrified and stuff, he’s there helping people, and on the front lines, for lack of a better term, dealing with it.”

For Kimminau, being a good police officer is about compassion, ethics, bravery, and treating everyone with respect, no matter the circumstances.

“Every victim, no matter how small the crime is, that’s the biggest thing in their life at that time…whether it’s a neighbor’s dog barking…that’s the biggest thing in their life right then,” he said. “You’ve got to always remember that and treat it that way.”

Working as a police officer has now become a family legacy for Kimminau. Quinn spent five years as an officer in Carbondale after graduating with a degree in criminal justice.

“I was really proud of (Quinn) becoming an officer and you worry about him, but he grew up in this department basically,” Kimminau said. “They were his second family. That’s what he went to school for — his criminal justice degree. He’s always wanted to be a cop for some unknown reason.”

In December, Quinn switched to the Glenwood Springs Police Department after Chief Deras encouraged him to take the opportunity to work with his dad.

“It’s not an opportunity you see a lot because growing up, I watched him from a kid’s standpoint being a police officer and now I get to actually see him from the standpoint of a patrol officer,” Quinn said. “It’s been an honor to work with him because I actually get to see the behind the scenes police work with him instead of the stories of him coming home and playing down what happened or not trying to say how good he actually is as a police officer.”

Both Quinn and Hassell agree that there are many qualities that make Kimminau a good police officer — qualities Quinn hopes to exemplify as he continues his dad’s legacy at the Glenwood Springs Police Department. 

“His integrity is without blemish,” Hassell said. “He’s a pillar of our community and one of the kindest people, he would literally give the shirt off his back to you if he needed it. It’s always about doing the right thing for him.”

“His big quality is he always does the right thing no matter what, regardless of if it’s going to benefit him or not,” Quinn said. “Also, his compassion for people — he does whatever he can to help somebody in a situation, even if it’s not warranted. Even if we don’t have to, he still would go the extra mile to try and help somebody if he could.”

On Monday afternoon, Kimminau will take his last call before retiring from the career that has shaped his life for more than three decades. 

While Kimminau is excited for what’s to come — traveling, enjoying time with his family, going on new adventures and watching his son’s career flourish — he’s also scared of the unknown road ahead. But he knows that it’s his time to move on. 

“I have loved this job and the city for 40 years and I’m going to miss it, but it’s time to go to the next chapter in our lives,” Kimminau said. “I’m proud of my son — fewer and fewer people want to do this job anymore. I’m proud of the department. They’ll do great things in the future, I’m sure.”

It’s also a big shift for the department, where nine personnel changes were needed to fill Kimminau’s previous position as lieutenant in preparation for a new era of leadership. 

“A lot of people know (Kimminau) as a police officer, and that’s great, but hopefully people know who he was as a person instead of a police officer, because, like I said, he’s truly a kindhearted person and will do anything for anybody and drop anything he’s doing to go help them,” Quinn said. “Regardless of what their views were of him as a police officer, I just want people to know that he truly is a good family man, a good dad, and would do anything for anybody if they ever asked.”