Dennis Albert is Lowell’s new chief of police

“On Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, the City of Lowell announced that it had chosen Lieutenant Dennis J. Albert, of the Kent County Sheriff’s office, as its new police chief, replacing Chief Christopher Hurst, who is set to retire on Monday, March 3, 2025.”

By Justin Tiemeyer - Contributing Writer 

Feb. 5, 2025

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, the City of Lowell announced that it had chosen Lieutenant Dennis J. Albert, of the Kent County Sheriff’s office, as its new police chief, replacing Chief Christopher Hurst, who is set to retire on Monday, March 3, 2025.

When City Manager, Mike Burns, addressed the city’s decision during the Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 City Council meeting, he laid out the details of the intensive interview process that Albert was subjected to. “Every interviewer said Albert was the top candidate,” Burns concluded. “I think he’s going to be a very positive impact on our community.”

“Yeah, it was pretty rigorous,” Albert admitted during a less rigorous interview with the Lowell Ledger, “I’ll be honest with you.” For Albert, though, it was all worth it. He shared empathy toward people who struggle to figure out what they want to do, but Albert, on the other hand, has always known he wanted to be a police officer.

When Albert retired from the court security and transfer crew on Friday, Jan. 17. 2025,  Albert’s father shared a paper Albert had written in second grade. “’What do you want to be when you grow up?’” Albert said. “Mine was that I wanted to be a police officer. When you know, you just know.”

One benefit of hiring Albert as Lowell’s chief of police was that he already lived in the area, which meant that he would not have to uproot his wife and four kids. It also meant that every step he takes toward making Lowell a safer place to live is a step he takes to protect his own family. “I’m not working as a police officer in a foreign country,” he said. “This is where I live.”

It will occasionally mean some long hours away from his family, but the Alberts prepared. Back when Alberts worked narcotics and vice, some of the investigations would go into the wee hours of the morning or take all night. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you have planned with the kids,” Albert said. “You have to work when the work is available.”

Fortunately, with his new duties as Lowell’s Chief of Police starting, Monday, Feb. 17, Albert has secured a full month to spend with his family and get caught up on the list of things he was supposed to do over the last two months. “So, that’s a good feeling,” Albert said.

Albert’s career as a patrol officer began on Monday, March 15, 1999, a date he remembers partially out of pride—this was, after all, something he had wanted to do his whole life!—and partially out of practicality. Everything in the police force is based on seniority, and seniority is determined by hire date. “It’s kind of like remembering your birthday,” Albert said. “It’s a day you never forget.”

When it comes to policing, Albert has done a little bit of everything. As mentioned earlier, he worked in court security, vice, and narcotics, but he also worked for the detecting bureau, family services, tactical apprehension and confrontation (TAC), firearms instruction, the mounted unit, which involved policing from atop a horse, and the violent crime and fugitive taskforce, a joint FBI/Grand Rapids Police unit that no longer operates.

As his career progressed, Albert went from general to specialized duties. As Chief of Police, he will return to doing a little bit of everything as needed. “I know it’s going to entail more line level enforcement,” Albert said, “filling in shifts when there’s open vacancies, but that was always my favorite anyways. I love the roll patrol.”

Albert will have a two-week transition period, where he and Chief Hurst will work together, and this will give Albert the opportunity to get up to speed on various operational issues. After that, Albert will be running the show.

During the candidate meet and greet event on Monday, Dec. 3, 2024 on the Lowell Showboat VI, Albert explained his leadership style as leadership-by-example. He emphasized the importance of one-on-one experiences with officers in the form of trainings, ride-alongs, and conversations.  “People can obviously hear you preach the way you want things done,” Albert said. “They often times remember more seeing it done.”

First and foremost, however, Albert wants to get to know the officers of Lowell Police Department, and he wants to give them the opportunity to get to know him.

“It’s important to spend time with them,” Albert said. It is also important, Albert believes, for the Lowell Police Department to spend as much time as possible out in the public, and not just issuing tickets. Officers should interact with citizens, get to know who they are serving and protecting, and make their presence known so folks know where to go when they are in need of help.

“I’m really excited for this next chapter,” Albert said. “It’s going to be a pretty good deal for both me and the City of Lowell.”