Chubbuck police chief receives state’s highest honor for officers
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CHUBBUCK — When a spokesman for the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) division listed the career accomplishments of Chubbuck Police Chief Bill Guiberson at the April 21 Chubbuck City Council meeting, Guiberson had to think twice before acknowledging the accomplishments as his own.
Guiberson wasn’t immediately aware of all the things he has done in his 27 years as an officer in the state of Idaho, he told EastIdahoNews.com. The reason was that his objective has always been to keep himself and his department moving forward.
His list of accomplishments preceded the announcement that Guiberson had received the POST Executive Certificate — the state’s highest award for peace officers.
Guiberson said that he learned of his receiving the award in December but had waited for it to be presented until COVID would allow.
“When you earn it, and you can see it there on your POST record, it’s kind of cool to have,” he said, sitting at his desk with the framed certificate proudly hung beside him.
The certificate, Guiberson explained, is awarded to officers who hold an agency’s department head position for three years. To be eligible, the officer must also complete a certain number of hours in management and executive training.
Guiberson began his law enforcement career in 1994 as a correctional officer at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center, following his service in the U.S. Navy. In 1997, he graduated from POST Basic Patrol Academy and took a job as a patrol officer with CPD. He rose through the ranks, holding numerous positions over the next 20 years before being appointed police chief in 2017.
The thought of achieving the state’s pinnacle award for peace officers wasn’t even a goal until he was named chief.
“I wouldn’t say from the beginning,” he said, “but as soon as the mayor and the council appointed me as the chief of police, that was one of the things that I wanted to obtain.”
Guiberson is constantly pushing his officers to strive for greater success and the next achievement, he said.
“We try to promote any of our officers,” he said. “Any type of certification that they can get, we feel that that’s important to recognize. … When I promote that amongst our staff, and our employees, and the department as a whole, it makes perfect sense that I should be doing the same thing.”