COLORADO SPRINGS — After more than 30 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department, including three years as its chief, Vince Niski is calling it a career.

From a pandemic to nearly two weeks of contentious protests, FOX21 News sat down with Niski for an exclusive one-on-one interview to reflect on 33 years with CSPD.

“You know when it’s time,” Niski said.

Niski began with the department in 1989.

“When I first became an officer, I had no aspirations whatsoever, didn’t know what I was getting into, didn’t have any law enforcement experience before I got on the department,” said Niski.

Yet he was promoted many times. Niski became Deputy Chief in 2012, and, almost exactly three years ago, Niski was selected as chief of police.

“Law enforcement really is a calling in my mind,” Niski said. “You’re called to service and it is about service. It’s about serving your community.”

And that calling was put to the test just six months into his tenure, in August of 2019, when 19-year-old
De’von Bailey was shot and killed by Colorado Springs Police Officers. His death prompted protests in the city and the call for police reform.

Chief Niski says he still stands by the officers who were ruled justified in Bailey’s killing.

“I think what we could’ve done a better job of is reaching out to the community, having more discussions with the community early on than maybe we did – to maybe explain the situation,” Niski said.

Then a little over a year into his time as chief, a pandemic crossed borders and swept across the country.

And just three months late was the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked protests across the nation – including here in Colorado Springs.

Thinking back, Niski said, “I really think the summer of 2020 was a perfect storm. I think on the heels of De’von Bailey, on the heels of the COVID epidemic, and then George Floyd, I think it was the perfect storm.”

All of those factors put policing in America under the microscope.

“I wish none of those things would have happened, absolutely I wish none of them ever would’ve happened. But I don’t know that I would go back and say that we would’ve handled each of these any differently than we did,” Niski said.

Niski says, over his 33 years in law enforcement, he’s seen significant changes – from technology advances to distrust from the community he served.

“In recent years, what’s really been troublesome is the lack of respect for law enforcement across the country. I think we’ve even seen that here,” Niski said.

But, he says, it’s an overall lack of respect for people in general.

“This year we’ve had the highest number of murders in the first two months of the year than I think we’ve had in my 33 years. And I think it just goes to show you that people don’t think about their actions,” Niski said.

As of March 1, there have been 12 homicide investigations in the city, compared to three at the same time last year. Meanwhile, police departments around the country are struggling to hire officers, which is also reflected in Colorado Springs.

Niski said, “I think one of the major issues that whoever replaces me is going to have to deal with, is retention and our staffing.”

CSPD has recently tried attracting officers to the city rather than the department, but recruitment numbers are still lacking. Niski says now they are turning their focus to military members.

“What we’re hoping to attract is some military personnel that when they PCS out of the military, they can go ahead and apply,” Niski said.

But Chief Niski says it’s not the culmination of the events over the past three years that’s behind his decision.

“After discussions with my wife, it was just like – now is a good time,” said Niski.

They’ve been married for over four decades, and for three of those, she’s been serving right alongside him .

Niski said, “She’s actually kind of going, ‘this is weird,’ and I asked her the other night, ‘what do you mean weird?’ She said ‘it’s been both of our lives for 33 years.'”