The Cumberland police chief’s work with the International Association of Chiefs of Police should have a positive impact on the town’s law enforcement and the community, he says.
“Everything I learn when I’m on a board or committee, I bring that back here,” Chief Charles “Chip” Rumsey said in an interview with The Forecaster. “If there’s a new program, if there’s a best practice, we can implement that pretty quickly.”
Police Chief Chip Rumsey will serve a three-year term with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Contributed
Rumsey was appointed to the Police Professional Standards, Ethics and Image Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police earlier this month, and will serve a three-year term. The IACP is the largest professional association for police leaders worldwide.
Expanding his network to an association like the IACP will benefit Cumberland, he said.
“You get to meet a lot of people that can assist you in the work that you’re doing,” Rumsey said. “You find out how things are being done that are relevant to your work all across the country, and sometimes across the world.”
Rumsey said the ethics committee’s focus dovetails with police policy work being done in Maine.
“We have about 13 policies here in Maine that are legislatively mandated for every police department to have,” he said. “They’re about things like police pursuits, protective custody of people that are mentally ill – a whole host of topics.”
He said he looks forward to sharing Maine’s policy work with other police departments, but also plans to learn from other jurisdictions and bring those lessons home to enhance efforts here.
“I think it’s great not only for me and my career, but also for the police department and the community,” Rumsey said.
The IACP has already asked Rumsey to be involved in other boards and committees, and Town Manager Shane said that is not surprising.
“He’s the right person,” Shane said. “He’s a good person, a good teacher and a good leader, and he’s at the stage in his career where the giving back piece is more than what he’s going to be taking from the organization.”
Shane says he has always encouraged Rumsey to be involved with other police chiefs as much as possible.
“I’ve always been a big proponent of trying to push my staff to push themselves a little bit,” Shane said. “The international and national levels of organizations really do that, especially International Chiefs.”
Rumsey first got his start in police work in Waterville, Maine, back in 1995. He worked his way through the ranks, first serving as a patrol officer, then a detective, then a sergeant, and finally deputy chief, a role he held for nine years. Rumsey kept a close eye on chief job openings across the state and became Cumberland’s police chief in 2016.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, even the tough times,” Rumsey said. “I enjoy the challenge, so it’s been quite rewarding.”
Serving on a committee with other law enforcement officers is not a new gig for Rumsey. In 2017, he was appointed by then-Gov. Paul LePage to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees, and Gov. Janet Mills has since reappointed him to that board. Four years ago, Rumsey was elected by his peers to serve on the Executive Board of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, and later became the president of the association.
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