Published 8:39 p.m. MT Nov. 13, 2020
Jeff Walther, a former Scottsdale assistant police chief, will serve as the city's interim police chief before a candidate is chosen to permanently fill the role, the city announced Friday.
The news came about a month after Scottsdale Police Department confirmed Chief Alan Rodbell will retire Nov. 30.
"Alan Rodbell has served this community with dedication and distinction, and with a new city council taking their seats in January, we will begin the process to recruit someone who will continue that legacy and lead our outstanding police department," said City Manager Jim Thompson in the announcement.
Walther, who retired from Scottsdale Police Department in 2018, served the department for 24 years, according to the statement.
"We are fortunate to be able to bring back Jeff Walther, who knows our community and our department, to serve in this interim role," Thompson said.
Walther is expected to lead the department during the recruitment phase, which could take six to eight months, but he will not stay in the role permanently, the announcement said.
"In cases like this, my preference is to select an interim leader who will not be a candidate for the permanent job. That assures a level playing field for others who want to apply for the job, whether they are internal candidates or people from outside the organization," said Thompson.
An assistant police chief vacancy also will be filled before Rodbell's retirement, according to Kelly Corsette, a city spokesperson.
"If we waited to conduct this process until after a new police chief is hired, the position would likely remain unfilled into late 2021," Corsette said, in an email.
Hiring an assistant police chief prior to the Rodbell's retirement would not be "unusual in these circumstances when there's no specific timeline to hire the police chief," Corsette said.
"We are confident in our internal candidates, and hiring from within is not only a promotional opportunity to someone who has shown their commitment to the department, but it also has the potential to create additional promotional opportunities for others," he said.
Scottsdale councilwoman Virginia Korte said she supports filling the assistant chief position as soon as possible because "I think leadership is in important," she said.
"Nothing's traditional today, given our environment with pandemic and the unrest that we've seen the last six months in this country, including Scottsdale," Korte said.
According to Korte, the city council is not involved in the decision on who is hired as assistant police chief, which is hired by the city manager and leadership in the police department, she said.
Korte added that she is pleased Walther is returning to the department as interim police chief.
"He knows the city. He knows and understands the culture of the city and our citizens and I believe he also has the respect of the police officers on the line every day," Korte said. "I'm just really looking forward to his leadership."
