City of Broken Arrow Police Cheif to Retire
Wuestewald is a 29-year veteran of the department who was promoted through the ranks to Chief of Police, a position he has held since July 2003. He has held positions in patrol, K-9, special operations, training, detectives and administration. He also served as a Tulsa police officer prior to moving to Broken Arrow.
“The City and the Police Department have been my extended family for 29-years,” he said. It will be hard to leave, but there are things I still want to do.”
City Manager Dave Wooden said Wuestewald retiring will be a loss to the city.
“Broken Arrow has been consistently recognized as one of the safest in Oklahoma and the United States since Wuestewald became chief,” Wooden said. “The City does not want to lose Chief Wuestewald, but we understand his desire to move on to new challenges.”
To assist the City, Wuestewald has agreed to aid in the selection of his replacement and assure a smooth transition through an extended overlap period with the new Chief of Police.
“Todd is highly respected throughout the United States and overseas,” Mayor Mike Lester said. “His leadership style is second to none. He is truly among our city’s finest leaders.”
Wuestewald said he will miss the , but looks forward to the future.
“I always thought it would be a nice legacy if you could say that your leadership had become irrelevant because of all the leaders around you,” Wuestewald said. “Today, I can happily say that I am irrelevant. The is filled with leaders who have built a healthy, highly professional police department with a national reputation for excellence and innovation. I’m very proud of them and of what they will accomplish in the future.”
Wuestewald’s immediate plans include teaching part-time for OU and while he finishes his Doctorate studies. In the future, he may move into academia full-time or stay in public service in some aspect.
Wuestewald received his Bachelors in English and Criminal Justice from Michigan State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern State University, and is a Ph.D. candidate at Oklahoma State University where he is studying police workforce education.
He serves on the adjunct faculties of several universities and police training foundations, as well as on the boards of numerous State and National organizations.
Wuestewald has been widely published on the subjects of leadership and management, police training and education, community policing, operations, and police research collaborations. He is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police and the Rocky Mountain Leadership Program.
While his departure will be a great loss to the department, his outstanding training of department personnel will ensure that business will continue as usual.
The city will begin a nationwide search for a new Chief of Police after the first of the year.
Updated 12-14-2010
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