DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is moving to keep two of the city’s top public safety leaders in their roles under his administration.

Ron Thomas, chief of the Denver Police Department, will stay in the role if Johnston’s nomination gets council approval, the mayor’s office announced Tuesday. Armando Saldate III, executive director of the Department of Safety, also was nominated to keep his role.

“Public safety is one of my top priorities as mayor,” Johnston said in part in a statement. “We laid out a big vision for what’s possible in Denver, and we’re delighted that Armando and Chief Thomas share this vision. Together, these proven leaders can help deliver a safer city for Denverites.”

Armando Saldate III in a suit smiles for his portrait
Armando Saldate III, executive director of the Denver Department of Safety (Credit: City and County of Denver)
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas (Credit: City and County of Denver)

Saldate has led the city’s safety department since his council confirmation in February 2022.

According to the mayor’s office, Saldate started his career in 1993 in Phoenix and took on multiple assignments before he retired from the department in 2014. He relocated to Colorado, working in the Denver Sheriff Department and, later, the Department of Safety.

Thomas was appointed police chief in October 2022 after spending his career with the department.

The mayor’s office said he graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and joined the Denver Police Department in 1989, and he was patrol division chief from 2018 until his promotion to chief.