Pasco native to help lead rapidly expanding police department

The Pasco Police Department now has a second-in-command as part of a move aimed at providing more consistency in managing the growing agency.

Capt. Ken Roske, a 31-year veteran of the department, became the city’s first deputy police chief this week.

The shuffle in the administration wasn’t a total surprise. It was rooted in the department’s 2015 strategic plan, Police Chief Bob Metzger said.

In the past two years, Pasco police updated its training, revamped its citizens academy and worked with community members to review the police policy manual.

The plan also called for reorganizing the brass, but the complexity of the department increased in the six years since Metzger became chief.

The department has grown from 50 officers to about 70 in that time.

“I think we have some excellent staff here who could some day take my spot,” Metzger told the city council earlier this fall. “This positions us to have somebody in place for when I do retire, because some day I will, (and) somebody else internally can take my place.”

The change creates a clear chain of command when the chief is not available, Metzger told the Herald.

One of three police captains was normally in charge when Metzger was out. The duty rotated among them.

Kennewick, Richland and West Richland have no deputy chief position. Those agencies have commanders or captains who manage divisions, such as patrol, detectives and administration.

The closest parallel in the Tri-Cities is a county undersheriff, who is second-in-command to the elected sheriff. Benton and Franklin counties have undersheriff posts.

The deputy chief position is more common in other areas of the state, including in Everett, Bellingham and Mill Creek. However, the job description can change depending on the department.

In Pasco, the city eliminated Roske’s current position as administration captain.

The duties were split between the other two captains — Field Operations Capt. Jeff Harpster and Investigative Services Capt. Brent Cook.

Cook, Harpster and Roske were invited to apply for the new position, Metzger said.

All were qualified, but Roske, who has been a captain for 14 years, had a combination of education and experience that made him the right pick, Metzger said.

“When you’ve got three good (candidates), you make your best choice,” Metzger said.

Roske joined the Pasco police force in 1986. He worked patrol and was a K9 officer for several years with his partner, Sabo.

He was the state president of the Fraternal Order of Police, graduated from the FBI Academy and lead efforts to get the department accredited by the state.

Roske told the Herald he was honored to be appointed, and looked forward to continuing to serve.

“I am also humbled to lead a team of dedicated police officers who are committed to serving this community,” he said. “I am immensely proud of our citizens and the partnerships we have established.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Pasco native to help lead rapidly expanding police department."