Chief Chris Gard (Ret.) spent nearly three decades with the Orting Police Department in Washington State. During his tenure as chief, Chris built trust and improved relationships with the community, expanded law enforcement and emergency management partnerships throughout the state, and led a cumulative team that helped reduce crime significantly.

Chris is an Advanced Force Science Specialist. In addition to his duties as a Force Science Staff Instructor, Chris is a member of the Force Science Consulting Division, advising clients and providing expert testimony in many of the country’s highest-profile use-of-force cases.

Chris continues to serve on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Crime Prevention Committee where he chairs a large subcommittee that is aimed to address spontaneous, unprovoked acts of criminal violence. Chris is also an active member of the IACP’s Officer Safety and Wellness Section where he chairs the Officer Victim of Gun Violence Committee, Education Committee, and Sponsorship Committee. Chris is a member of the International Association of Director of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) Partner Advisory Committee (IPAC). As a police chief, Chris chaired the Homeland Security Region 5 Training Exercise Committee and the Terrorism Early Warning Committee. He was a member of the Tri-County Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack Oversight Board for the Seattle Metropolitan Area while also serving on the Metro Tactical Response Team Oversight Board.

Chris is a former SWAT team member and clandestine lab investigator. He conducted crime scene investigation and management, criminal investigations, crime scene photography, and cognitive interviewing. As a trainer, Chris earned certifications as a firearms instructor, simulator instructor, master reality-based training instructor, defensive tactics instructor, and civilian self-defense instructor.

Chris earned a master’s degree in criminal justice, with an emphasis on Forensic Psychology, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and government from Liberty University.