Two longtime Kent Police officers retire

Two veteran Kent Police officers retired last month after a combined 58 years with the department.

Officer Steve Holt retired after 30 years with the Kent Police and 32 years of overall service. Cmdr. Tracey Padilla, the wife of Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla, retired after 28 years with the force. Holt and Padilla were honored last week with a retirement party at City Hall.

“I would like to thank the department for a wonderful and diverse career and for all the training and encouragement I received during my tenure here,” Tracey Padilla said in her resignation letter.

Padilla began her career in law enforcement in 1990 at the Kent Police Department. She pursued a career in law enforcement after working for three years as a child advocate in Seattle. She worked for 22 years in the Patrol Division as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Generalist K9 Handler and supervisor.

Padilla was promoted to Patrol Sergeant in 1998, supervising Patrol Officers until 2003 when she transferred to the Special Operations Unit, supervising Bicycle and Marine Officers. She was promoted to Commander in May 2010 and assigned to the Investigations Division in 2012 where she supervised the Detective Unit and Internal Affairs.

Her most recent duties were as the Support Services Commander, overseeing the Training Unit, hiring and recruiting, social media and accreditation/research and development.

Padilla graduated from the University of Washington Seattle, is a 2011 graduate of the Senior Management Institute of Policing, and a 2014 graduate of the FBI National Academy. She is an active member of the Kent Meridian Kiwanis Club.

She married Rafael Padilla in January. She was previously known as Tracey Church.

Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla with his wife Tracey Padilla at a retirement party for her at City Hall. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent Police