During his swearing in as Thornton’s new police chief Tuesday night, Jim Baird vowed to work with the city council to better understand the unique needs of each council member’s ward.
“I am very grateful to being entrusted with this role,” said Baird, a 32-year law enforcement veteran. Baird was picked from 35 applicants representing talent and expertise from Colorado and across the nation, according to Thornton officials.
“Thornton PD will be in strong hands with (Chief) Baird stirring the ship,” said City of Thornton Presiding Judge Tiffany Sorice, who administered the oath to Baird.
His swearing in occurred on the same day it was revealed Baird accidentally fired a new gun at his apartment on May 14. The bullet went through a kitchen cabinet inside the apartment, and nobody was injured, according to CBS News Colorado.
“It’s definitely not how anyone wants to start,” Kylynn McTague, public information officer for the Thornton Police Department told CBS News Colorado.
“I think it was my fault,” Baird told CBS News Colorado. He told the station that he was trying out different magazines on the new Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun when it fired. He said he was on the phone and was multitasking when the gun fired.
“I should have known better,” Baird said. “It’s a mistake I’ll never make again.”
The City of Thornton said in a statement that Baird immediately tried to contact residents to make sure nobody had been hit. Baird then reported the incident to the interim police chief, who came to the apartment with a sergeant from the Thornton Police Department.
The investigation found no evidence of negligence or criminal conduct and Baird was not cited or arrested, according to a statement to CBS 4.
Baird replaces Terrence Gordon, who retired in September 2024 after a four-year stint as chief.
Before serving as the Police Chief in Breckenridge, Baird was the Chief of Police for Ann Arbor, Michigan from 2016 to 2018, where he started his law enforcement career and worked his way up the ranks directly after graduating out of the police academy in 1993, according to the news release.
Baird has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University. Baird has also been active in the police chief community in Colorado since arriving in the state and is serving as the 2024-2025 president of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police.