Rifle Police Department begins application process to fill chief position
Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
The city of Rifle is now accepting applications for its next chief of police, according to a Facebook post from the city.
The opening comes as current Chief Debra Funston prepares to retire from law enforcement in April after more than 37 years in public service. Funston will transition into a human resources role within the city.
Funston has served the city of Rifle since December 2021. A Western Colorado native, she received the Colorado Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement in January 2025. She also has served in several leadership roles, including on the Colorado POST Board and the Colorado Crime Information Center Board of Executive Directors, and as president of the Association of Chiefs of Police from 2023 to 2024.
The city is now moving forward with a public hiring process to find her replacement.
“It closes on April 5, a week from Sunday, and we’re hoping for a robust selection of applicants,” said City Manager Patrick Waller. “We’ll go through the applications and then we’ll have an open house for the public after getting through the first cut.”
Depending on how many applicants there are, Waller surmises that the public open house to meet applicants will be sometime in May. In the meantime, Lt. Mike Kuper is acting as interim chief.
“The chief (Funston) is moving to her new position on April 13 within the city,” Waller said. “Lt. Kuper will be interim chief in the meantime while we go through applications.”
Applications can be submitted at rifleco.org/Jobs.
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