Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris will retire effective January 2, 2026, after accepting a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PSP Deputy Commissioner of Operations Lt. Col. George Bivens has been named Acting Commissioner beginning Wednesday, December 31, 2025.  

Bivens joined the PSP in 1985 and spent much of his early career serving communities across southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2008, he was promoted to lead the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and in 2011, he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.  

Throughout his career, Bivens has been a steady public-facing leader during some of the commonwealth’s most complex and high-profile investigations, including leading the manhunt for Eric Frein in 2014 and overseeing the successful search for escaped convict Danelo Cavalcante in 2023. 

During a brief retirement from PSP, Bivens served at PSATS in 2022 on our Government Relations team advocating for local government.  He returned to Deputy Commissioner of Operations in 2023. Click here for the press release.