Roth sworn in as new Clear Lake police chief

[caption id="attachment_11946" align="alignleft" width="270"] Clear Lake Mayor Nelson Crabb administers the oath of office to Police Chief Pete Roth during Monday night’s City Council meeting.-Reporter photo.[/caption]

Clear Lake’s new police chief, Pete Roth, hit the ground running Monday, Aug. 3.  Roth met with his staff and city employees, helped with a tornado siren drill, reviewed issues in his department and attended a City Council meeting where he was officially sworn in to his new post.

“I’m excited to work with the city,” said Roth, adding his first order of business will be to get to know his department and the city and address pending issues.

The new chief had been serving as a University of Iowa police captain, overseeing 22 sworn officers, four lieutenants and two sergeants in the University’s uniformed patrol division. Prior to joining the Iowa City university’s public safety division in 2008, he served the previous 10 years with the Clive Police Department. He has a Bachelors degree from the University of Iowa and a Masters in Public Administration from Drake University. He began his career in law enforcement in Johnson County, Kansas and the City of Mission, Kan.

Since he was named the new chief on July 6, Roth and his family have visited the community several times.  The 45-year-old married father of two said the size of the community and police department attracted his interest in relocating here.

Roth takes over as chief for Greg Peterson, who retired last year, and for interim chief Rex McChesney, who passed away in December.