City Manager Jon Ruiz announced today that he has selected Captain Pete Kerns to serve as the City of Eugene's acting Police Chief.  “Captain Kerns is widely recognized for his integrity, operational expertise, effective leadership, and for his longstanding and strong relationships with many aspects of our diverse community.  He will do an excellent job as Eugene’s Police Chief,” said Ruiz.

Captain Pete Kerns has served the City of Eugene Police Department in a variety of disciplines for more than 25 years.  He began his career as a reserve police officer in 1981, was hired as a full time sworn officer in 1983, and subsequently worked as a patrol officer until he was promoted to Agent in 1989.  After a brief assignment with the Property Crimes Unit in 1990, he transferred as a detective to the Lane County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET) where he was promoted to sergeant in 1995 and supervised the interagency team. 

In 1999, Kerns was promoted to lieutenant and served as the Eugene Police Department’s West Sector commander and as a watch commander.  In 2003, he became the Special Operations Section’s commander in charge of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and the Crowd Control Team, with responsibilities including management of the Explosive Disposal Unit, Crisis Negotiation Team, Firearms Program, Honor Guard, Traffic Enforcement Unit, School Resource Team, and Patrol K9 Team. 

Throughout his career, Kerns has worked cooperatively with many community groups, including Centro Latino Americano, the Human Rights Commission, and neighborhood associations, to prevent crime and increase public safety. Kerns was promoted to Patrol Captain in 2007.

Kerns’ appointment as acting Police Chief is effective October 17, and will continue until a permanent chief is selected. The recruitment and selection process is expected to take nine to twelve months and will include opportunities for community input.  During this time, Kerns and the Eugene Police Department command staff will continue to move the department forward on current initiatives such as implementation of the civilian review system and downtown public safety.