Meet Brian Hubbard: Former YMCA Executive Becomes Crystal’s Top Cop
On July 15 at Crystal City Hall, there was a changing of the guard, as Brian Hubbard was officially sworn in as police chief of the Crystal Police Department.
It’s a role that wasn’t exactly a lifelong goal.
“In my wildest dreams, I never would have thought I would have been a cop, let alone sitting in the chief’s chair,” said Hubbard.
Hubbard has spent 20 years in law enforcement, including the last seven in Crystal, the community where he grew up.
But prior to that, he spent 17 years with the YMCA as a youth worker, a summer camp director, a middle manager and an executive.
“I loved that career, loved the job, loved the people, loved everything about it,” said Hubbard. “But being a nonprofit executive of a building that was open 363 days a year was not very family-friendly.”
As a young man, he volunteered with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office water patrol unit. He said that experience inspired his career shift to police work.
“I thought ‘boy, I really enjoyed that,’ got to know some people, got a chance to talk to them and thought, ‘well, this seems like the way to go,'” Hubbard said.
Crystal Police Chief Brian Hubbard was sworn-in on July 15.
During his law enforcement career, Hubbard has been an officer, a sergeant and a deputy chief. But he also gives back. He raises money for various nonprofits, and he serves as the president of the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association (LEMA), where he helps to organize funerals for officers killed in the line of duty.
“Highest honor, hands down, of my professional life is my involvement in LEMA,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard now takes over a department with more than 30 sworn officers. He said it is his goal to continue the work he started with his predecessor, Stephanie Revering.
“We have a mission here, and our mission is to serve people with compassion, integrity and professionalism,” said Hubbard. “And that’s not just a tagline. That’s what we should be doing in all of our interactions. Good, bad, or indifferent. So I’d like to continue that.”
Hubbard says he doesn’t have a long list of changes or things he’d like to do differently. He cares about people, and that’s the mark he wants to leave on the department and the city.
“My goal still remains to make sure that I’m helping the people that do the real work serve this community as best we can, and I’m honored to be part of the team that’s doing that,” he said.
Despite his increased workload, Hubbard, 53, says he still plans to remain in his role as president of Minnesota’s Law Enforcement Memorial Association.
Related: New Crystal Deputy Chief Brian Hubbard Returns to his Hometown
