Chief Maris Herold

Chief Maris Herold currently serves as Police Chief of Boulder, Colorado. She was previously Chief at the University Cincinnati Police Division (UCPD), the third largest police department in Hamilton County, Ohio. Following a controversial police intervention shooting, Chief Herold was asked to lead UCPD through 276 reform recommendations, working collaboratively with independent oversight monitors and a community advisory council. Completing reform objectives one year in advance of the external monitor’s timeline, UCPD’s accountability and community reputation has improved due to new policies and procedures governing citizen complaint processes, completion of the State of Ohio accreditation program, and the implementation of new recruitment and hiring diversity standards. Chief Herold’s efforts to improve department operations and officer benefits resulted in officer access to enhanced data technology platforms, national Veterans Affairs expert wellness services, commensurate benefit packages, and state-of-the-art training, equipment, and facilities. UCPD innovations in training, technology, recruiting, community collaboration, and data-driven crime reduction strategies were recognized in a recent City of Cincinnati public resolution highlighting the department’s achievements.

Chief Herold served as the District 4 Operations Commander, which serves ten diverse neighborhoods within the City of Cincinnati. During her tenure with the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD), she successfully dismantled several violent offender networks using an evidence-based focused deterrence strategy. Her collaboration with public and private entities led to neighborhood stabilization and affordable housing opportunities in underserved communities. Before retiring from CPD, she served in numerous leadership positions, including assignments within the agency’s Professional Standards Section, Training Section, Community Relations Section, and Crime Analysis and Problem Solving Unit. Her notable projects include the development of mental health response teams (i.e., crisis intervention teams) and ethical and constitutional responses to address community needs associated with homelessness and substance abuse issues.

Chief Herold holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Before joining the CPD, she began her career in social work, serving as a sexual assault investigator and as a psychiatric intake worker in a juvenile mental health facility. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston, and Cincinnati’s Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Leadership Course. She has received numerous awards for her community collaboration, police reform, and large-scale problem-solving projects to reduce crime and improve services for at-risk populations. Most recently, her Cincinnati crime reduction initiative was awarded the international 2017 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing. She received the Ohio’s 2019 Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) award recognizing her successful police reform efforts, including diversity-focused recruiting initiatives and innovative technologies to improve police decision-making. She has also received several community awards, including the 2016 Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement Award and Problem-Solving Award, sponsored by numerous community organizations, including the Black United Front, ACLU, and FOP.