Police Executive Research Forum Recognizes Chief Tolber for Evidence-Based Policing
Courtesy photo
Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber, left, receives the Gary P. Hayes Award.
Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber was recognized with the prestigious Gary P. Hayes Award at the Police Executive Research Forum’s annual meeting, held in Los Angeles on April 16.
The award is presented annually to mid-career police officials who have demonstrated leadership and innovation. It is named after PERF’s first executive director.
"She has been an amazing advocate for women in policing," said Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills, who nominated Tolber for the award. "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."
The nonprofit PERF describes itself as a police research and policy organization and a provider of management services, technical assistance and executive-level education to support law enforcement agencies, and fosters public debate of police and criminal justice issues, as well as research and policy development.
Appointed chief in 2023, Tolber began her law enforcement career with the department as an intern in 1997 and was sworn in as a police officer in 1998. In recent years, her leadership has emphasized strategic recruitment, organizational wellness, the integration of innovative technology and the development of a new police facility.
Tolber received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Redlands and holds a master’s degree in criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine. She also earned a master’s degree in applied criminology from the University of Cambridge and is a graduate of the California POST Command College.
She serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee and a Uniform Crime Reporting Subcommittee under the FBI CJIS Advisory Board. She is a fellow of the Future Policing Institute, a founding board member emerita of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing and an alumna of the National Institute of Justice’s LEADS Scholar program.
"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 in accepting the award. "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. And 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."