Rifle Narrows Police Chief Search to Two Finalists

"The question is whether the man who knows the town best can return to lead it, or if the outsider with the fresh perspective is the right fit for Rifle’s next chapter."

That’s the tension hanging over the Rifle City Council as they narrow down 16 applicants to two finalists for police chief. The position has been open since former Chief Debra Funston retired in April. Now, the city is asking neighbors to weigh in before making a final decision.

Cory Huff and Thomas A. Klein Jr. are the two names on the table.

Huff is a 27-year veteran of the Peoria Police Department in Illinois. He’s currently a patrol lieutenant and shift commander there. Before that, he ran internal affairs, overseeing everything from policy compliance to officer-involved shootings. He’s got a degree from Western Illinois University and has studied force science at the Force Science Institute. He’s built a career on structure, accountability, and working with federal partners to reduce violence.

Klein, on the other hand, is a homecoming candidate. He was Rifle’s police chief from 2017 to 2021. He left to become city manager, then moved to Florida in 2024 to help his wife care for ailing family members. He spent 24 years with the Raleigh Police Department in North Carolina before coming west. He knows the local roads, the local politics, and the local officers.

The city is holding a community reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 1, at the Rifle Ute Theater and Event Center, 132 E. Fourth St. Residents can meet both candidates and provide feedback. After that, the finalists will meet with department staff, City Council, City Manager Patrick Waller, and executive staff.

It’s a classic dilemma for a mid-sized mountain town. Do you bring in someone who has been trained in a different system, with different challenges? Or do you trust the person who already knows how the sausage is made, even if they’ve been gone for a few years?

Klein’s resume is deep. He’s done patrol, investigations, gang intelligence, and domestic violence cases. He retired as a district captain in Raleigh, overseeing one of the city’s largest patrol districts. He’s seen how a police department operates from the ground up. But he’s been out of the local loop for a few years. The last time he was chief, the town was different. The economy was different. The expectations of the community were different.

Huff brings a different set of tools. He’s got experience with public safety technology implementation. He’s got a background in problem-oriented policing, working closely with residents on quality-of-life initiatives. He’s not just a cop; he’s a manager who understands the administrative side of things, having served as an internal affairs commander. That’s a role that requires a cool head and a sharp eye for detail.

The city isn’t just looking for a badge. They’re looking for a leader who can handle the budget, the politics, and the public. They need someone who can stand in front of the camera when something goes wrong and speak clearly. They need someone who can manage the officers who do the work every day.

Do they want the stability of the person who has already walked these streets? Or do they want the energy of the outsider who has been trained in a major metro area and wants to bring that experience to the valley?

The finalists are ready. The community is watching. And the job is waiting.