SARASOTA, Fla. — The city of Sarasota appointed Rex Troche as its next police chief. Troche has been with the Sarasota Police Department (SPD) since 2002.
He is expected to be sworn in during a ceremony held at SPD Headquarters at 10 a.m. Friday.
Troche had been serving as the interim chief since Aug. 2021. He will become Sarasota's 13th police chief and first Hispanic chief.
"Interim Chief Troche has essentially been interviewing for the job every day for the past eight months, and during that time, as well as throughout his career with our organization, he has demonstrated he possesses the qualities of the kind of chief our community needs and desires," City Manager Marlon Brown said. "It's my pleasure to appoint someone who has risen through the ranks of our organization to this position, and I know he will do an excellent job representing Sarasota."
During the search for a permanent SPD chief, Brown gathered public feedback about what they'd like to see in the next chief. Respondents said they valued leadership skills within the department and professional management skills as two of the most important qualities in a police chief.
"I am honored and humbled to lead the dedicated men and women of the Sarasota Police Department," Troche said. "I will continue to promote our community policing initiatives, focus on reducing gun violence and increase the visibility of our officers in the city. I'm excited to move our agency forward by hiring the best and brightest officers who will reflect our community. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to build trust, transparency, and lasting relationships with the citizens of the City of Sarasota."
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