By Stacey Hanks–
After serving with the Citrus Heights Police Department since its inception in 2006, along with 17 years of service as a deputy sheriff before that, Commander Daman Christensen was officially presented with his retirement badge by Police Chief Ronald Lawrence on Friday.
“Being one of the original employees of CHPD during its inaugural years, he made many contributions that helped to shape our police department into what it is today,” Lawrence told The Sentinel in an email.
According to a police news release, Christensen began his career as a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office in 1989 and was later promoted to the rank of sergeant during his 17-year tenure with the department.
In March 2006, he was hired as a police lieutenant with the newly formed Citrus Heights Police Department, where he served as one of the first patrol watch commanders with the fledgling department, working a variety of assignments, including investigations and patrol.
Six years later, Christensen was promoted to the position of police commander and during his tenure oversaw the command of both the Investigative Services Division, as well as the Patrol Services Division.
The official send-off on Friday celebrating his retirement was attended by city and police department personnel, including City Manager Chris Boyd, who originally hired Christensen 12 years ago. Chief Lawrence, who replaced Boyd as the city’s police chief in 2016, called it a “bitter-sweet moment” to bid farewell to the commander, but congratulated him on a “well deserved retirement after an exceptional law enforcement career.”
The announcement of Christensen’s retirement was first made public during the June 28 city council meeting, where Lawrence also announced that Commander Gina Anderson would be promoted to the newly created position of assistant police chief.
The retirement and promotion leaves the department with two vacant commander positions, which Lawrence said will be filled by August 19 through an internal recruitment process from among the department’s existing lieutenants.
Editor’s note: Check back next week for a followup story on Commander Anderson’s promotion to assistant police chief.
