Denver Public Safety head named new Colorado Bureau of Investigation director

Denver Public Safety Director Armando Saldate III has been named the new director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, according to the state’s Department of Public Safety.

Both agencies announced Friday that Saldate is leaving the Denver Department of Public Safety to start in his new role on Monday, becoming the bureau’s 12th director. Saldate replaces interim director Rebecca Spiess, who has led the agency since former Director Chris Schaefer retired in May, according to a news release.

“(Saldate) has led the Department of Public Safety with integrity, steady leadership, and a deep commitment to our community,” Mayor Mike Johnston stated in a news release. “His impact will be felt for years to come, and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.”

Chief of Staff Jeff Holliday will serve as acting director of the Denver Department of Public Safety until the city appoints a new leader, according to a news release.   

“I’ve had the honor of working alongside passionate public safety staff who have faced immense challenges with strength and integrity, and I am most proud of their unwavering resilience,” Saldate said in a news release about leaving the Denver agency. “Their courage, compassion, and tenacity continue to inspire me.”

Saldate began his career in 1993 at the Phoenix Police Department, where he focused on gang violence. He became a special agent and U.S. Marshal with the FBI’s Phoenix Division and was a member of the federal agency’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to the news release.

Schaefer announced his retirement earlier this year after allegations of misconduct. An outside investigation cleared him of the allegations, which included a claim that he wanted to push a Black employee out of CBI.

“While I always planned to exit the Department of Public Safety on the heels of my 30-year anniversary with the organization, it was critical to delay this announcement until the conclusion of the independent, third-party review,” he said in March. “I want to emphasize that I have not been asked to retire.”

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