POULSBO — The Poulsbo Police Department hailed a new chief this week, one boasting nearly 30 years of public safety service.

But despite his impressive resumé of policing — and even firefighting — experience, for PPD’s newest leader Dennis Swiney, it was dentistry, not law enforcement, he first found appealing.

“I always thought that that’s the career path I would go,” he said.

But a high school class in which he became involved in the police department in his hometown of Dinuba, Calif. put a switch in those plans, and he said serving citizens and saving lives got into his blood.

With a Chadwick University bachelor’s degree in social business administration, time spent studying at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. and three decades on the books of climbing the ranks in the Visalia, Calif. police department, Swiney, 51, is now bringing his wide-ranging skills to Little Norway, a place he said he and his wife, Sandy, “literally fell in love with.”

And there’s no doubt he’s as full of energy and enthusiasm as he his conviction and commitment to his new post.

“It’s very exciting. It’s a career goal and aspiration that I’ve had,” he said. “What a way to move forward… to live and work in an area that we love.”

Despite facing a “learning curve” of Washington’s laws, recertification and joining a new network, Swiney said leading Poulsbo and helping address its unique qualities and difficulties are facets of the job he’s ready to tackle.

“I’ve never walked away from a challenge and I eagerly embrace and look forward to the challenge,” he said, adding growth and traffic circulation are major issues the department now faces. But to start, he plans on getting to know those he’ll be working with and serving, filling his role in a visible and accessible fashion.

“We’re going to determine where we’re going as a team,” Swiney said. “We have to look at the customer… see if they are satisfied with the level of services provided. We always want to strive to be the best that we can be.”

Coming from a city of 117,000 people and 136 sworn officers, Swiney said the change to Poulsbo’s 7,500 citizens and 17 commissioned officers will be a noticeable one, but one that, in part, attracted him to the job, as it offers a sense of “close-knitness” and familial camaraderie.

With a leadership style that’s “participative,” gathering input and valuing staff support will be integral, he said.

As the “next chapter” in the department’s forward motion to continually improve the community’s confidence level in its services, Swiney looks to build on the department’s current standings.

“I was excited about where the agency is at as well and where it is going,” he said.

But Swiney’s police chief duties are just the start of his plans, as he said he anticipates becoming an involved citizen, too.

“I’m more excited and looking forward to being an active and visible member of the community,” he said.

Poulsbo Mayor Kathryn Quade said she’s happy with the new hire, and though the search process may have taken a few months more than expected, the wait was most assuredly worthwhile.

“He just came in and stepped right up to the plate,” she said. “I just know he’s going to be a great addition to our city family.”

Swiney and his wife have three grown children, numerous grandpets and their first grandson on the way.