‘It’s been a team effort’

As a child, Wendi Steinbronn never dreamed about becoming a police officer. Rather, the current Washougal police chief’s true calling was something she found later in life — almost by chance — after working in the high-tech industry.

“The company I was working for was going out of business,” Steinbronn said. “A friend of a friend told me that the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) was hiring officers. I was like, ‘Well, I’m in pretty good shape. I could probably do that.’ The thought of working with people, helping people, and working outside, not at a desk — although now I’m at a desk most of the time, so I’ve come full circle — appealed to me, so I took the plunge. I didn’t know if I was going to have an aptitude for it or not. I suspected I would be good at it, but I didn’t know.”

Not only did she excel in her new career, she rose through the ranks, serving as a police officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and commander for the PPB for 31 years before being named the Washougal Police Department’s chief of police in 2019, and also serving for six months in 2023, as Vancouver’s interim assistant chief of police.

Now, Steinbronn is ready for a new chapter of her life — retirement. The Washougal police chief’s last day is Dec. 31. She will be succeeded by Washougal Police Captain Zane Freschette.

“I am satisfied,” Steinbronn said this week, reflecting on her time leading the Washougal Police Department. “I’m really happy with everything the team has accomplished in the last five years. It’s been a team effort, not just me. I might be the one steering, but everybody has to be involved.”

City of Washougal leaders issued a statement about Steinbronn’s pending retirement and said the police chief “has been an integral part of the department’s growth and success, leaving a lasting legacy of commitment and professionalism.”

“She is an approachable, well-experienced, respected, and highly effective law enforcement executive officer, and has been a highly valued member of our city leadership team,” Washougal City Manager David Scott said.

“Chief Steinbronn is a high-integrity professional who leads with expertise and a humble confidence, holding herself to a high standard without taking herself too seriously. She leaves a legacy of success, leading the effort on various accomplishments together with her colleagues in the Washougal Police Department,” Scott said. “As she departs her tenure in Washougal, she can be proud of her time here and of the members of the Washougal Police Department, who she led and who continue to provide outstanding service in keeping our community safe.”

Steinbronn said she had been open to the possibility of working at least one more year, but decided to step down at the end of 2024, after her husband, Rich, retired from his PPB position in July 2024.

“After that, the full-court press was kind of on for us both to be retired and start doing all this stuff that we talked about doing,” Steinbronn said.

The city of Washougal hired Steinbronn in 2019 to replace retiring Washougal Police Chief Ron Mitchell. The move capped a career that had seen Steinbronn move through the ranks at the PPB, moving up the ladder until she was commander of the PPB’s North Portland Precinct.

“As you get those promotions, you have the ability to influence a little bit more and kind of shape it to your vision of how things should be,” Steinbronn said. “When I left Portland, I definitely knew there were some things I really didn’t like, and I was going to make sure those things didn’t happen (in Washougal). All the experiences I had in Portland, good and bad, led me to the spot where I could do this job for five years and have success at it.”

During Steinbronn’s tenure, the WPD implemented the use of police drones, body-worn cameras and wellness programs; achieved accreditation from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs; performed an internal strategic operational review; created opportunities for its officers to participate on regional SWAT teams; and increased its recruitment efforts by participating in Southwest Washington’s regional law enforcement training academy, which opened in January 2024.

“When I came in here, I knew I was going to have to make an adjustment from a big agency to a small agency,” she said. “Some of my best times at the (PPB) was when I was a sergeant and in charge of smaller teams, because you feel like you can get a lot accomplished. One of the attractive things about the city of Washougal is that, being smaller, there’s a lack of bureaucracy, a lack of layers, and so you are able to get things done faster. You can go directly and talk to people in person. You don’t have to make an appointment.”

Steinbronn said she has complete confidence in her replacement, Washougal Police Captain Zane Freschette, who currently serves as the Washougal Police Department’s captain and second-in-command.

“I don’t miss anything about my career in Portland — although I had a very successful, very enjoyable career there — except for the people, and that’s what I’m really going to miss here, too,” Steinbronn said. “That’s been the best part — the fantastic people I’ve worked with over the years — especially here in Washougal, because I know everybody. I know a little bit about everybody’s life, which is important, I think, for a leader to do, to care about their team, because if they feel that they’re cared about, there’s trust, which is very important for a successful leader.”

Steinbronn plans to fill her retirement traveling, pursuing hobbies and spending time with family.

“For the first three months, I’m just going to decompress, focus on catching up on all my reading, going to the gym, maybe taking a few side trips to some warmer climates until winter’s over,” she said. “I became a member of (the Camas-Washougal) Rotary when I started working here, but I didn’t have a lot of time to participate in some of the service projects, but now I will have the time. I’m looking forward to playing some golf over at Orchard Hills (Country Club) and participating more in Rotary.”

Steinbronn’s son, Chris, is a sophomore studying wildlife resource management and conservation at the University of Washington.

“He thought about (majoring in) administration of justice, but he doesn’t want to be a police officer, which is just fine with us,” Steinbronn said, laughing.

Steinbronn and her husband purchased property in Tennessee a few years ago, but she said they aren’t sure if they’re going to eventually move there or use it as an investment.