Sam Costello

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT SAM COSTELLO

Sam Costello has been involved in law enforcement for more than 30 years, from cadet, reserve police officer, to his current position, the Chief of Police in Gunnison, Colorado. Prior to that, he worked in his hometown, Olympia, Washington, as a police officer (OPD) for more than 27 years. He served in many progressively responsible roles at OPD and eventually left as Deputy Chief of Police, moving on to Gunnison in April of 2025. He is an active member of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from The Evergreen State College and a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University in Orange, California. Sam is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session #282) in Quantico, Virginia, and the Senior Management Institute for Police (PERF, SMIP Session #89) in Boston, Massachusetts. He, his brother, and a lifelong friend are on a quest to visit every major league baseball stadium together (currently 25+). Sam is a dog person, an avid cyclist, fitness/strength enthusiast, fly fisher, and loves anything outdoors.He and his wife, Kristin, have two awesome college-aged children at Washington State universities. Sam and Kristin make their home in Gunnison.