REDLANDS — Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber was recognized with a national leadership award earlier this month at a policing conference in Los Angeles.
Tolber received the Gary P. Hayes Award from the Police Executive Research Forum during the organization’s annual meeting April 16. The award honors mid-career police officials who demonstrate leadership and innovation in the field.
Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills, who nominated Tolber, praised her contributions to advancing policing practices.
"She has been an amazing advocate for women in policing," Mills said. "But far beyond that, she's also been one of the original founders of [the American Society of] Evidence-Based Policing and has written multiple articles, has spoken numerous times around the country about evidence-based policing and how to lead forward, and that was all before she was chief."
Tolber, who was appointed Redlands police chief in 2023, thanked her department and the community when accepting the award.
"I just want to say thank you to my community and my team, because without their trust and support, we wouldn't be able to do the great work we're doing," Tolber said. "To all of you who've gone before, those who are going through it with us now, thank you for making policing better, because ultimately that's what we're here to do."
She added: "At the end of the day, it's not about titles. It's about the trust that we're building and the difference that we make in people's lives."
Tolber began her career with the Redlands Police Department as an intern in 1997 and was sworn in as an officer in 1998. Her leadership in recent years has focused on recruitment, officer wellness, technology integration and planning for a new police facility.
She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Redlands, a master’s degree in criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree in applied criminology from the University of Cambridge. She is also a graduate of the California POST Command College.
Tolber serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee and a Uniform Crime Reporting subcommittee under the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Advisory Board. She is also a fellow of the Future Policing Institute and a founding and emeritus board member of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing.
In addition to her professional roles, Tolber has served on local boards focused on crime prevention, violence intervention and youth outreach, and is a member of the Redlands Sunrise Rotary.
The Police Executive Research Forum, founded in 1976, is an independent research organization focused on policing issues, including use of force, community policing and crime reduction strategies.
This article is based on a media release from the Redlands Police Department.
