Peoria, Ariz. (May 25, 2007) – Larry Ratcliff, a
veteran Peoria police officer, has been named as the city’s new police chief,
subject to City Council confirmation at its June 5 meeting. Ratcliff has been
serving as acting chief since October 2006, and during that time has shown he is
the right person to take over the job permanently, according to Peoria City
Manager Terry Ellis.
“Larry Ratcliff is a forward-thinking leader,” said
Ellis. “Over the past eight months he has proven that he can do this job. His
deep insight and commitment to the principles of community-oriented policing
have kept the department moving forward – he’s an excellent candidate."
Ratcliff looks forward to strengthening the
relationship between the department and Peoria citizens.
“We want to get the community more involved with the
department and create stronger connections between our officers and the people
they serve, particularly with Peoria’s youth,” he said. He plans to empower the
officers on the street and their supervisors to forge those improved
relationships.
“I am going to place more decision-making and
problem solving responsibility into the hands of our sergeants and officers, to
give them more input and ownership in how the department runs and how we serve
the community.”
Ratcliff has more than 32 years of increasingly
responsible experience in public safety. His career in law enforcement began in
1975 as a corrections officer in Oregon. Beginning in 1977, he spent eight years
as a deputy sheriff before transferring to the City of Portland Police
Department in 1985. He rose through the ranks from patrol officer to captain
during his 17-year tenure with that agency.
Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett likes what he has seen
since Ratcliff stepped in as acting chief.
“Clearly, Chief Ratcliff has demonstrated not only a
professional ability to operate the department but also the people skills
necessary to do an outstanding job," Barrett said.
Larry Ratcliff joined the Peoria Police Department
as deputy police chief in August 2002, where he led the department’s community
services, patrol operations, special assignments, crisis negotiations,
investigations, accident investigations, tactical operations, traffic
enforcement and animal control activities.
Ratcliff has a bachelor’s of science degree in
psychology from Portland State University. He is also a graduate of the FBI
National Academy, and has substantial additional training related to police
operations and leadership.
As police chief, Ratcliff will lead the Police
Department’s 264 sworn and civilian employees, oversee its $28 million annual
budget, and have overall law enforcement responsibility throughout Peoria’s 178
square miles.
Ratcliff, 60, will earn an annual salary of
$138,541.
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