WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita police chief who was one of the first law enforcement officials to call the death of George Floyd a murder has announced that he is resigning.
Gordon Ramsay announced Friday morning that he plans to resign from his position on March 1. Ramsay said he wanted to spend more time with family and is weighing a run for St. Louis County Sheriff in Duluth, where he was police chief before getting hired in Wichita.
Ramsay said his diversification of the police department is one of his proudest accomplishments.
Ramsay was appointed as the Wichita Police Chief in January 2016 and has served as a police officer since 1993, according to his bio on the city web site.
He is nationally recognized for his work and expertise with citizen oversight boards, co-responders models, police-community relations, and the use of technology and crime reduction. Due to his work in these areas, Chief Ramsay was selected to serve as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Kansas Governor's Commission on Racial Equity and Justice.
Overall, WPD experienced a decrease in part one crimes under Chief Ramsay's leadership. In partnership with his staff, he has implemented innovative methods to reduce crime, including shot spotter technology, Operation Save a Casing, and created the first Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Kansas. Additionally, they have added several embedded caseworkers who assist families in crisis, caseworkers who assist with housing stabilization, and a co-responder model for mental health response. Chief Ramsay implemented Wichita's first Citizen Review Board in 2018.
Under Chief Ramsay's leadership, federal grants have quadrupled in dollar amounts and are helping reduce gun violence and fund important crime reduction initiatives.
Chief Ramsay is currently an executive board member with the Major City Police Chiefs Association representing the central U.S. and has his Bachelor's Degree in Criminology and Sociology and a Master's Degree in Management. He previously served as the General Chair of the Mid-Sized Agency Section of the IACP, President of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and is currently an Advisory Board Member of the Council of State Governments-Justice Center and is on the Board of the Wichita area YMCA's, the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas and Rise Up for Youth. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy session 222.