WASHOUGAL — New Washougal Police Chief Wendi Steinbronn comes to the city after running a precinct in Portland where 135 employees cover 58 square miles.

On Nov. 30, she took over the Washougal department, where 21 sworn officers and four nonsworn employees police 6.8 square miles. But Steinbronn, 55, isn’t looking to wind down her career. She’s looking to get back to some of the happiest times of her law enforcement career.

“For me, this is a return to the small-team concept,” she said. “Some of the best times of my career have been leading teams of eight people up to 35 people. In a large precinct, I was getting to a point where I didn’t know everybody’s names, or I couldn’t name something about them as people.”

In her first few weeks, Steinbronn has tried to attend as many community events as possible, from a Meals on Wheels luncheon to bell ringing outside Safeway for the Salvation Army. She’s also been meeting one-on-one with every member of the department.

“She’s been so engaged,” Mayor Molly Coston said. “She’s been attending almost everything. She’s been out there in the community.”