High-profile Colorado Springs police sergeant transitioning into retirement
A childhood dream that refused to dim in adulthood seemed like it might not be realized for Colorado Springs police Sgt. Olav Chaney.
After jumping out of aircraft while serving four years in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, it took him multiple tries to pass the battery of assessments required to become a police officer.
“I tested five different times,” Chaney said Thursday in an interview, after Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade announced to a crowd of 900 attendees at his annual State of the City address that Chaney soon would retire his badge.
Part of the reason for the difficulty he had in gaining entry into the law enforcement brotherhood, Chaney said, was that when he started the process in 1985, he competed against some 3,000 other applicants for 20 openings.
“It was tough competition. I’d test every year, and they finally said yes,” he said. “I really wanted to do this job — I wanted to protect and help people.”
