March 10, 2008
For Immediate Release

Contact: Greg Sowell, Communications Manager
Telephone: (972) 329-8319

MESQUITE NAMES NEW POLICE CHIEF

(Mesquite, Texas) – –Mesquite Assistant Police Chief Derek Rohde has been named the City’s new Chief of Police. The selection was made early this morning, and concludes a search which attracted applicants from across the nation.

The search started in January when Police Chief Gary Westphal announced he was retiring February 1. Retired Mesquite Assistant Police Chief Bill Hobson has been serving in the capacity since then, and will hand over control of the department to Chief Rohde effective Tuesday, March 18, 2008.

Derek Rohde was one of three finalists selected by a committee to interview with Mesquite’s City Manager. All of the finalists had command experience from large metropolitan departments in the Metroplex. The last of the interviews concluded last week.

City administrators conducted the search to ensure the best leadership for Mesquite’s award-winning department was found. City Manager Ted Barron says, “I’m not surprised to find our best candidate was from within our own ranks, but I felt we owed it to the department to look both near and far to make sure. Honestly, it was a tough decision and Derek worked hard to earn this appointment.”

Derek Rohde has been a member of the Mesquite Police Department since 1983. He will oversee 229 sworn officers who cover more than 40 square miles of patrol area and protect more than 135,000 people.

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