Pasco leaders go outside department to pick interim police chief

A former chief with a history of filling in for cities looking for a replacement will take charge of Pasco police next week.

Pasco leaders are appointing Larry Dickerson to fill the spot being left open by the retirement of Chief Bob Metzger. The chief is finishing his 44-year law enforcement career on Friday.

Since leaving the Lacey Police Department, Dickerson has filled the role of interim chief several times in Washington cities, including stints leading departments in College Place, Monroe and Mill Creek.

The Prothman Co. of Issaquah is leading the search for a new police chief. It expects to have finalists picked for the job as early as July.

The appointment isn’t a reflection on the quality of the people already in the department, City Manager Dave Zabell said.

“(The department) is operating at a high tempo with a lot on its plate,” Zabell said. “Burdening command staff with the loss of a position would put a heavy managerial burden on the deputy chief and captains.”

City leaders picked Ken Roske, a 32-year veteran, to become the department’s first deputy chief about a year ago. Metzger also told the council around the same time that the department has some “excellent staff” who could take his place when he retired.

Dickerson will be in the city Wednesday to talk with Metzger, senior staff and learn about the department. He will officially start Monday.

This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 12:53 PM.