Chief Kristen Thorne joined the Elmira Police Department in November 2004. Chief Thorne is currently serving as first in command of the Elmira Police Department. Thorne is a graduate of Corning Community College having earned an AAS degree in Criminal Justice. Thorne is a Police Instructor in the fields of General Topics and Defensive Tactics. In the past, Thorne has served in the positions of K9 Handler, SWAT team Operator, Supervisor in the Detective Bureau, Officer in charge of the Drug Enforcement Unit and SWAT team Commander.